


Try Friends Not Force

by SHSL_ex_SOLDIER



Series: Naekusaba [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa IF - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Legend of Zelda AU, Multi, triforce au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 10:05:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7218169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER/pseuds/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three friends. Three fates. Three forces.<br/>Legend has them destined to fight another like their ancestors did.<br/>However, maybe they don’t have to. Maybe they could actually break the cycle this time.<br/>And maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them.</p><p><b>Triforce AU</b> where Kyouko has Wisdom, Makoto has Courage, and Mukuro has Power. But instead of the two trying to beat the third, they're all actually really good friends so they're trying to fight their destinies and break the endless cycle of conflict.</p><p><b>NOTE:</b> <i>You don't need to have prior Legend of Zelda knowledge in order to understand this fic. The plot twists diverge from original lore anyways. Regardless, just read this and hope you enjoy!</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Try Friends Not Force

**Author's Note:**

> Supposedly written for my Mukuro-centric series fic **She Breathes** but decided to publish this separately.

_Three friends. Three fates. Three forces._

_Legend has them destined to fight another like their ancestors did. However, maybe they don't have to._

_Maybe they could actually break the cycle this time._

_And maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them._

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

_Legend has foretold that the bearers of the Triforce are predestined to meet._

But not like this.

"We'll always be best friends."

"Best." The first child stretched his arm forward.

"Friends." The second child placed their hand above the first.

"Forever." The third child did the same.

At the count of three, they all raised their hands and cheered, "It's a promise!"

_The legend never mentioned anything about all three being best friends._

Because in the legend, out of those three, one would rebel against the other two and they'd fight each other as the future of the land and everything else lies at stake.

* * *

Before everything else, they used to be just three kids who were strangers.

Makoto was just your average kid. He didn't have any special backstory or any hidden skills to behold. He's just some kid from another backwater town where his mother was a busybody who tended the garden and ran an in while his father was a merchant. He had a little sister too who's learning how to read and write now. His role was to help with the chores and learn as his father's apprentice. As for hobbies and interests, he generally liked anything so he wasn't into anything particular. He liked talking to people though. He had a habit of helping anyone in need even though sometimes it was too much for his seven year old self to handle. And he hated frowns the most so he always did his best to cheer up anyone feeling sad. Some adults told him that he's too friendly to a fault but other adults told him to keep up the good work. He's still nice regardless.

There's nothing else interesting to say about him. If there was anything striking about his life it's that he sometimes travel with his father to sell their goods. And even that wasn't as exciting as it sounded because he's only allowed to travel twice a year. They would head out together only when it was either summer or the holiday season because that's when his father would go to the Capital. He's not permitted to join any other excursions not until he was ten because it might be too dangerous. He's fine with that. It's just another three years and he hasn't gotten bored of his hometown just yet. But if he were asked to be honest, he'd admit that he would have wanted to visit the Capital more.

The Capital was nothing like his hometown. It was huge, crowded, and lively no matter what every time they went there. Something exciting was always happening and there were always new faces to see. There's not a moment where he's bored. He's easily befriended the local merchants because they were the most familiar faces he remembered. They were accepted as honorary members of the local merchants guild which was a big deal if they wanted to continue business there. This earned him a strong pat in the back from his father which almost shoved him to the ground due to his frail body. Makoto was a good luck charm according to his father. He attracted a lot of good will because of his friendliness which translated to a lot of blessings.

Unfortunately, he also attracted a lot of bad luck. It's not like anyone was out there who personally had it out for him but it's just the universe in general. He's just a magnet for ill fortune and strangely enough, it was always only him affected. He chalked it up to coincidence most of the time but on some days, he's not so sure. But if there's anything he's sure about it's that he'll overcome them. It didn't matter how small or how horrible his luck was. Since no one else would be harmed then he'd just have to grin and bear with it. And the thing about bad luck was that it was only temporary. As long as he could get past through the bad part then all that's left was the good part. And besides, it's not like it would happen to him on a daily basis.

Of course, his luck had to act up today too because his wallet was missing.

~xoxo~xoxo~

Kyoko was a child of many secrets. She had to be, it came with the lineage. She's from this small village that nobody quite knew where it was exactly but everyone has heard of it. She understood the importance of secrecy at a young age and honed her knowledge in accordance. She's mastered the arts of stealth and even went so far as trained herself to become an adept sleuth. She's considered a prodigy as a Sheikah and has expedited her training such that she's accomplished all that she could at such a young age. All that's left was practical application. And with her age being close to the princess, she's been bestowed with the honor and the responsibility of protecting those next in line for the throne.

That's why she's at Hyrule Castle for the first time today and so far it has been nothing but disappointing. She got inside too smoothly without even trying. That's why she went out again and challenged herself to try and get in without clinging to the shadows. She immediately regretted that decision. The guards were too lax that they let her in through the front gates. She didn't even need to disguise herself. Then again, naturally being an innocent looking young girl was as good as any disguise but still. If she were an enemy, that was easy infiltration and she didn't have any doubts that she would have made it just as easily to the throne room and possibly ended the Hyrule royalty. She now understood why the Royal Family needed the Shadow Clan. Their royal guards were too unreliable for security. It was almost insulting as to how laidback the supposed army who were to protect Hyrule and its citizens. She bet that even she could take down their best as long as it wasn't direct combat. She much preferred stealth and tactics over hand-to-hand confrontations.

Compared to the village she grew up in, everyone here was far too easygoing. That's why she's not even surprised when she found out that the princess was missing. It was only her first hour into the castle but already there was a mystery for her to solve. She smirked at the foolishness of the frantic guards in search for her. Try as hard as they might, they wouldn't find her here. If her deduction skills were correct, which was always the case, then the princess has already left the castle grounds. She reminded herself to praise her when they'd meet because she did a good job of hiding her tracks. If she wasn't trained in the art of tracking, she might have overlooked the slightest traces. It looked like Kyoko wasn't the only one who was good at going unnoticed. If anyone could get inside so easily then the same could be said for the opposite. She doubted that the princess would have gone to the front door though since they knew her face. Unless of course, she was in disguise then that would make this all the more exciting.

How interesting. If all the other days were as interesting as this then at least she won't be too bored on the job.

~xoxo~xoxo~

Mukuro was a plain child. For a princess, she had to be the most bland looking princess that ever lived. She knew and accepted that from the heart. She believed that it wasn't her role to be in anyways. She's much more interested in joining the royal guards and serving the people by protecting them herself. However, she couldn't be a guard no matter how much she wanted to. She wasn't allowed to be anything but a royal candidate. But her sister understood her. Mukuro had a twin sister named Junko and between the two of them, Junko was the princess. She looked and played the part well. While Mukuro preferred to be alone, Junko on the other hand adored the attention. She was the one who wanted to be a princess and she was great at it. So they both decided to let Junko be the princess when selection happens at their coming of age ceremony.

That's why Mukuro had more freedom now. She didn't need to do all those tedious and boring royal trainings so she went off and did her own kind of training. She woke up early to do push-ups and as much muscle exercises she could squeeze in before the maids would come in and then she did some more before going to bed. She didn't have any proper weight equipment to lift so she settled on using the heavy armors on display throughout the castle. If she got caught, she'd just say the excuse Junko had provided for her which was that they were playing a game of moving stuff. It always worked and though they were getting suspicious, they never stopped her fun. She ran around a lot to build up stamina and it's the only time she's grateful that the castle grounds where so vast. The few lessons that she could not skip, she still literally trained underhandedly. While their tutor was blackboard teaching, she was exercising her hands underneath the desk with a heavy gripper.

But there was only so much she could learn on her own. She could lift a sword made for an adult twice her size but she didn't know how to handle it with finesse. Junko was more than willing to throw rocks at Mukuro as she tried to block them with the sword but even that got boring once she mastered it. Besides, swords weren't meant to guard from pebbles, that's what shields were for. Swords were meant to clash with other blades. But Mukuro would rather give up on her dream than put her sister at risk by asking her to spar with. She was at a roadblock. She needed someone else if she wanted to improve and she did. She wanted to be the best at it. However, nobody within the castle walls wanted to teach her any actual lessons in combat. Either they were too scared they'd accidentally hurt her and have their heads on a plate the same day, or they were too condescending and thought that a little girl like her couldn't possibly pull it off. In the end, only Junko was on her side but she couldn't rely on her for everything.

So Mukuro would always snuck out of the castle to find an unsuspecting sparring partner.

~xoxo~xoxo~

They may have been fated to fight each other but it was a series of coincidences which led them to meet early on.

"HELP! Someone stop that thief!" A boy cried out as he chased after a suspicious looking man who was also running.

In his haste, he accidentally bumped into someone. "S-sorry!" He blurted out with an apologetic smile but before the other person could reply, the boy bolted out of sight as he resumed chase.

The person was left standing there stunned. On one hand, she's relieved that she wasn't recognized, on the other hand, that's the first time she's seen such a genuine smile. It was the fastest and most confusing encounters she has ever had and she didn't know how to process this. The boy seemed in a hurry. Something about chasing a thief if she heard him correctly. Why would anyone steal from the boy? And shouldn't she be doing something about it?

"Do you want to help him?" Another girl said as she emerged from the shadows.

The first girl jumped at the unexpected voice and spoke wearily. "Who are you?" She didn't even notice her presence which raised a lot of alarms in her head.

"Doesn't matter." She said shiftily. There was a smirk in her voice. "I know a shortcut." She started walking towards a different direction, not even checking if her supposed company was keeping up.

"And I know self-defense." She replied but followed her nonetheless.

They don't exchange any more words than that but there was an unspoken agreement between them. As long as the other party didn't do anything too suspicious then they had a truce for now. Compared to her first encounter who looked like he could do no harm and whom she could easily trust, this second person was absolutely shady. She couldn't get a read on her because there was no crack in her poker face. But at the very least, she felt like she meant no harm, at least not to her. She didn't know what her goal was or why she was there in the first place but she'll deal with that later. For now, they had to catch up to that boy.

Meanwhile, the boy was still struggling to capture the thief.

"Hey! Stop!" He wheezed completely out of breath.

He already felt his legs almost giving out on him. He was already aware that he wasn't that athletic but he couldn't be this bad. He blamed that he was still young and short while the thief was probably an adult with longer legs and greater stamina. No matter how much he pushed himself to the limit, there was absolutely no way for him to outrun that guy. But he didn't give up. There's always the hope that something unexpected would happen and turn the tides. So until then, he tried his hardest to pedal his legs despite all the fumbles.

They were in the more seedy alleyways of the town. This meant that they wouldn't run into anyone else, much less the guards who could have helped. So the boy really was alone in capturing him and he wasn't having any luck in that. But there was some hope yet because the thief made a wrong turn into a deadend. Finally, a stroke of good luck! With this, they would be cornered and the boy could easily catch up and hopefully, his words would be enough to convince him to return what was stolen.

Unfortunately, the thief didn't make a mistake when they ran for the deadend. Rather than stopping there, they ran faster until they built enough momentum to run up the wall. Of course they'd scale the wall. A thief accidentally cornering themselves was just too good to be true. They practically lived off the streets so they knew their way around and all the unconventional escape routes including this wall which they climbed with relative ease.

"Try harder next time, beansprout!" The thief mocked as he stuck out his tongue.

"Hey!" He shouted, hurt from the insult. He's still young so he had his reasons to be so short.

Okay, now that was just mean but more importantly, they were getting away! He couldn't just let them get away though, not when he's come so far. He racked his brain for an idea. He doubted he could scale that wall as he was right now and there wasn't any ladder or rope for him to use so he couldn't chase him. He could go around and try another route but the thief would have been long gone by then and he's still not familiar with this area of the town. Maybe he could stop him instead? Yeah, that sounded like a plan. He searched frantically for anything to throw. But for a seedy alleyway, it was clean and there was no clutter to throw. So he panicked and took off his right shoe which he then threw at them.

Only it didn't even reach the thief, it just hit lightly on the wall a meter below him.

"Now that's just pathetic." They said as they literally looked down on him.

"At least I'm trying!" He yelled back in frustration.

So apparently it wasn't just his leg strength which was weak, the same was true for his not so strong arm strength. He really needed to exercise some more, he mentally chided himself.

"Well, this was fun. Hate to break it to ya but I'm actually a busy guy to be playing with kids. I gotta loot some other schmucks now." They saluted at them. "See ya later when ya got money, kid!"

"Stop!" He pleaded as a last attempt.

But it fell on deaf ears as the thief swung their legs to other side and readied themselves to jump off.

Only for him to fall back.

Out of the other side of the wall came another person who dragged the thief down back to the side where the boy was. They both haphazardly fell onto the stone ground, with the thief on their back while the assailant crouched beside them in a defensive stance. The boy could only stare at the unexpected turn of events. Just when he thought it was over, someone had heard his pleas of help and came just in the nick of time. The hood of the stranger's cloak came down only to reveal a face of a girl of his age.

"He asked you to stop." She said threateningly, her eyes were sharp like daggers.

"If I ain't listened to him then I ain't listening to a girl either." He hissed as he shoved him off of her and stood as if the fall didn't hurt him at all. "Scram, missie. This ain't your business anyways."

Something glistening caught the boy's eyes and his eyes widened when he found out the source.

"Watch out!" He shouted to warn her.

A knife was pulled out of the thief's pocket as he lunged toward her. The girl looked as calm as ever. No, not calm but calculating. She was analyzing the situation with nerves of steel. This was her first actual combat with real danger and this was honestly too dangerous. She didn't have a blade with her to parry with or a shield to block with. She didn't feel any killing intent from him so he's probably bluffing or at the very least, he's just planning to wound her but nothing fatal. How foolish of them to hold back. That would be their downfall. She reached for her back, underneath the cloak. Just because no one took her seriously didn't mean that she would stoop to their level of carelessness.

"No hard feelings, kid." He said as he swiped the knife at her.

Only to have it pierce through and stuck lodged in the flat side of a wooden sword.

With all her strength, she pulled back on the sword which took them by surprise. Since they were firmly holding onto the knife, they also got pulled in abruptly which had them lose their balance. They were too busy falling to even react in any other way. This was the perfect opportunity to strike. As they were falling, the girl made sure to deliver a few targeted punches and a swift kick below the belt for good measure. By the time the guy hit the ground, he was already knocked unconsciousness.

Nobody ever underestimated her and got out unharmed.

"None indeed." She said blankly as she took the purse from the passed out thief.

The boy just stared at her in awe. A girl about same age as him, just popped out of nowhere and had just beaten an adult more than twice her size. Said adult also happened to have a knife which she easily overpowered with just a wooden sword. And sword wasn't even the right word for it because it was just a thin piece of plank that was shaped to look like a sword. Had she used the edge and not the flat side to intercept the attack, he's sure that it would have ended with splinters. She knew what she was doing and she handled the situation perfectly. It was truly a sight to behold that he couldn't help but applaud. Except he wasn't the one doing the actual clapping. Someone else was with them admiring what had just transpired.

"That was an impressive display." Another girl dropped down from the wall and walked towards them.

"Where did you disappear off to?" The raven-haired asked as she strode pass by her to pick up the shoe that he tossed earlier.

"I've had my suspicions that you could take care of this without my help so I went ahead and alerted the guards to pick up the trash." The other girl proceeded to tie the unconscious robber with a rope she pulled out of her vest. She looked so concentrated at what she was doing and yet the words that came out of her mouth were light and unrestrained. "They should be here shortly and by shortly, I mean in a long while considering their pace."

"You sure about that?" She asked skeptically, her eyes checking behind them just in case someone else was there.

"Absolutely. I know you don't want to be here when they come, for reasons I don't need to mention. But you can rest easy about that. This is a bit farther from the central plaza so it really will take them a while to get here." She finished the last knot and gave her a small smile. "So there's no need to rush. That's more than enough time to spend as much as you want."

"The commentary was unnecessary." The rescuer narrowed her eyes. She talked too much.

"But still enlightening." The other girl just brushed off her glare.

"Whatever." The raven-haired thought it was better to talk to someone else. She approached the still confused boy and handed him his shoe. "Here. This is yours."

"Th-thanks." He shakily took it and stuttered. He was still reeling in from all that secondhand action. He slipped on the shoe and heaved a sigh of relief. His father would chew him out if he lost another one. "I still needed this."

"Even though you threw it in the first place?" The other girl snickered in the background.

"Hey! It was the only thing I could throw. I panicked, okay?" He retorted with a flushed face. It was already embarrassing enough when it happened but it was even more so when he was reminded of his failed stunt by someone else. But wait a minute, this girl had just arrived, right? "And how did you even know I threw it? You weren't there when that happened!"

"The evidence speaks for itself." She said knowingly with a smirk.

"Yeah, well you're not the spokesperson of the evidence." He replied lamely and even he had to wince at his own weak retort.

"Ignore her. She just knows a lot apparently." The raven-haired patted him consolingly on the shoulder. And then glares at her heatedly. "And she talks a lot too."

"Not true." She smirked. "You two just so happened to be interesting to talk to."

Following her own advice, she ignored the other girl and handed out the purse she took from the robber's pocket. There wasn't anything else on him so she suspected that this must be what the boy was after. "I found this on them. Is this your stolen item?"

"The purse!" His face instantly lit up as he carefully took the said item and cradled it in his hands as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "Thank you. Now the old lady will be happy to have this returned to her."

She just blinked in surprise.

"Wait. So this isn't yours?" Well that explained why it looked like it belonged to a woman. "And you were chasing this guy because he stole from someone else?"

"Yeah, that about sums up my story." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well I was actually on my way back from a delivery when I heard an old lady scream for help. And I saw this guy running and so I put two and two together. Then my legs just moved on their own."

"Even though there was no way a small kid like you could feasibly catch an adult?" The other girl commented from the side.

"You're a kid too, you know." He huffed at her and stomped his feet.

"Am I?" She said teasingly.

"She has point though. You're not physically fit for running." The raven-haired pointed out.

"Yeah, just rub it in, you two." He sighed dejectedly.

The two bickered on like the little kids that they were. On the other hand, someone was overanalyzing the situation and its dangers.

"Did you know that this guy had a knife on him?" She blurted out all of a sudden.

When he realized that she was talking to him, he stopped arguing with the other girl and focused his attention here instead. "Nope. Not at all. That's why I was so worried back there when he pulled it out on you."

"Didn't you think he had one?" She asked curiously. "Weren't you scared?"

"Well I guess I did consider that he might have been dangerous. And it is scary when I think about it. After all, I'm just a kid who skipped out on self-defense class." He laughed weakly and then shook his head. "But I was so focused on trying to get back the purse that I totally forgot about my fears."

"Why would you do that? Why go so far?" She may have confronted the thief but at least she was confident enough in her skills to defend herself. Him on the other hand, had nothing special with him to protect himself. Either he was brave or just plain reckless.

"Why wouldn't I?" He shrugged and then just smiled. "You're supposed to help someone in need. It doesn't matter if I'm scared or if I'm not strong enough. As long as there's something I can do to help then I'll do it. I want to help anyone in need as much as I can."

Now she was the one staring back at him with awe. She didn't know what she expected when she decided to help him and eventually talk to him but she didn't dislike the surprise. For someone who looked so weak, he sounded so strong. It was strength not in the physical sense but more of in essence. So there were people like him out here. In her eyes, he was braver than any of the knights she's seen within the castle. Even though they were probably the same age, and although she was physically stronger, she couldn't help but think that he too was strong in his own way.

She didn't know it at the time but his words ignited a flame of inspiration within her. And his smile just fuelled it.

"Looks like someone's a martyr." The other girl commented in a condescending tone although her eyes said otherwise as they shone with respect.

"Yeah, right. Anyone would've done the same thing." He brushed off the compliment or sarcasm, whatever her comment was. "Admittedly though, I have lost my own wallet but I don't think it's this guy who stole it."

"Have you checked your back pocket?" The other girl suggested knowingly and though she was wearing a straight face, a smile could be heard in her voice.

"No?" His hands immediately searched and just as she said, it was there. The whole time he's been looking for it, it was just there all along and for some reason he forgot to check there. He groaned as he slapped himself on the forehead. "Whoa, now I just feel stupid."

"You're welcome." She said smugly.

"Thanks." He mumbled in embarrassment and then dragged his hand down his face. He won't let his humiliation get in the way of conversation though so he picked himself back up. "So do you two know each other?"

"Not at all." The other girl shook her head.

"We just met." The raven-haired said blankly.

Well that was unexpected. And awkward. He could have sworn that they were close or at the very least, they knew each other since they seemed to bicker a lot. But then again, he's also been talking to them as if they've known each other before today. Was this also a work of his unreliable luck? He'll probably won't ever know. The fact remained was that they were all practically strangers to each other then. Better fix that. They were actually nice people and since they're of the same ages approximately, that meant he could have new friends. And something about these two made him determined to befriend them.

"Wow, that means we all just happened to meet for the first time. Talk about coincidence." "Then want to get to know each other?"

The other two glanced at each other apprehensively, judging each other's intentions, but in the end, they both agreed. And they started with the introductions.

"I'm Makoto." The innocent looking boy cheered with all too much energy.

"Call me Kyoko." The calm and collected girl said with an unreadable face.

"It's Mukuro." Thee quiet but physically adept girl mumbled with a hesitant voice.

They all looked at each other and already the foundations of a bond was forming.

"Hey, wanna be friends?"

This was the beginning of a friendship no legend could have foretold.

* * *

_During a time of great peril, the Goddesses had bestowed upon a sacred force unto Hyrule. It was said that it was with this that Hyrule was saved from the ultimate evil. This sacred force had an ancient name before but since it happened far too long ago to be recorded in scripture, the original name was eventually forgotten._

_The earliest records of this legend has it named as the Triforce and that's what people have called it for centuries now._

_It is revered to be the greatest providence and the ultimate source of power. It was meant to provide guidance and protection over the land and its inhabitants long after its use in the great war against the ultimate evil. However, long ago there were those who sought to abuse its power and claim it for their own selfish pursuits. At the touch of an impure heart, it shattered as well as released the ultimate evil from its slumber._

_And so the Triforce had been split into three ever since then and the never ending cycle begun._

* * *

The three kids grew up to be the best of friends.

They could only hang out together two months out of the whole calendar year but whenever those months came, they made sure to meet up every day. Mukuro would sneak out of the castle, sometimes with the help of Kyoko, and then they would both head out to the stall where Makoto always was. He's supposed to be helping his father with selling and he even got scolded once for slacking off but that was before he knew about them. At first, they tried to keep their friendship a secret because the less people knew, the better, especially given Mukuro's status. But when they saw Makoto getting reprimanded for always running off to who knows where, they decided to reveal themselves to his father. Mukuro was thankful for her plain face because his father didn't suspect a thing. He was just relieved and happy to know that his son had new friends.

Since then, his father has given Makoto more freedom to hang out and play with them. Of course he still had to do the occasional tasks and sell his own quota at the end of the week but he always managed to finish those early in his excitement. Every day spent with them was always a new adventure. Whether it was getting Makoto out of trouble caused by his accursed luck, or it was hiding Mukuro from the royal guards in search of her, or it was solving another mystery Kyoko managed to overhear about. There was never a dull moment when they were together and they've been together for the past ten years now. Even though they were apart most of the time, they were never truly separated.

Absence made the heart grow fonder but presence made the bond grow stronger.

And today was the last day of summer. This meant that Makoto and his father had to go back home that night. As much as he wanted to stay a few days longer, he couldn't. They had already sold all of their goods so there was no reason for his father to stay and he couldn't just let his father travel alone, not when bandits were running amok lately. On a similar case, Kyoko had been summoned back to her village that night as well. It was in preparation for the upcoming coronation and as the assigned Sheikah to protect the heirs, there was also a separate ceremony for her although it was much more covert. And Mukuro would stay in the castle that night just as she's always had her whole life. This was the last day that all three of them were together.

And yet, they still spent the day lounging about as usual. This time though, they opted not to do anything exciting and chose to just spend the whole day relaxing, just enjoying each other's company. They've had enough excitement the whole month so they decided to wind down today instead. So here they were just hanging about carefreely, all three of them laid back on the grass under the shade of their favorite tree. They weren't kids anymore but sometimes, they still end up doing childish things like this out of habit. It can't be helped. Whenever they were with each other, they always felt like kids, always full of life, full of hope.

"Hey, Mukuro. What does it feel like being a princess?" Makoto asked out of the blue.

"I honestly wouldn't know." Mukuro shrugged. "I haven't exactly been acting like one ever since… ever since."

"I can vouch for that." Kyoko seconded. "The most princess thing she's ever done is having been born as one."

"You're not wrong." Mukuro concurred, not at all offended by the remark. "I've been busy being anything but a princess."

"But aren't you getting coronated soon?" Makoto asked concernedly.

"No. At least _I_ won't." Mukuro shook her head. "Junko's going to be queen, not me."

"Oh, that's right." His eyes lit up as he recalled a previous memory. "You said something about you two having already talked about it."

"Yes, and it was the shortest talk ever." She nodded although it was kind of pointless since they were all just staring at the sky. "She's interested, I'm not. Issue resolved."

"I wonder how the rest of Hyrule will react if they knew you decided it just like that." He chuckled at the mere thought of it.

"I'm sure they already know or at least have an inkling about it." Kyoko snickered from the other side. "She's not exactly putting any effort into pretending that she's trying. It's not even a competition anymore. Everyone already expects her sister to ascend to the throne. The ceremony will just be a formality that's long overdue."

"Exactly. I just want it to be over with." Mukuro sighed tiredly. "That way I'm officially off the hook."

"I have a question though." Makoto chewed on his bottom lip. He already kind of knew everything they just talked about. That was just a buildup to his actual question which he's still a little nervous to ask about but he felt like he had to. As a concerned friend, he needed to know. "What happens after you don't get coronated? What happens to the one who doesn't get selected?" He paused and took a sharp breath. "What happens to you?"

Mukuro could feel his eyes on her but unlike him, she was as calm as ever. She already knew the answer to his question. That's because she's thought about that too. In fact, she's even gone so far as dreamt about it. She's not really sure what exactly would happen to her but she could hazard a guess as to what she'd get. Freedom. As in official legitimate freedom. Not like the false kind she had now where she had to find loopholes just to get out of lessons and she had to sneak out just to train. It was actual freedom. She could finally be free of the social expectations of being a princess. She could finally do what she wanted and be what she actually wanted. She didn't have to wear a dress anymore but instead she could wear a suit of armor she's been preparing for her whole life.

She smiled as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "After they crown Junko then I'm free."

"No, you're not." Kyoko immediately objected. "You're supposed to continue your duty as a princess until there's the next heir or in case something happens to your sister."

"Then I'll just have to make sure that nothing happens to her." Mukuro shrugged. That was also part of the plan anyways. They probably wouldn't let her leave the castle for long periods of time, not that she wanted to. As long as she could be a soldier then it didn't matter where they placed her. So she might as well stay with her sister and protect her. "I'll be her personal bodyguard."

"Whoa, I've never heard of a royal guard who's actually royalty." Makoto said awestruck at the concept. "Can she do that?"

"Beats me. She'll just do whatever she wants anyways." Kyoko just shrugged her shoulders.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question." Mukuro chimed. "Kyoko. When my sister becomes queen, will you start stalking her instead of me?"

"Please, I do not stalk you. I am merely observing you in the off chance that you need my protection." Kyoko lightly scoffed.

"We both know that I'm more than capable of protecting myself." Mukuro shot her a glare and she had a feeling that she was avoiding eye contact on purpose. "Now back to the question."

"Who knows? Maybe I'll continue to _stalk_ you, as you so fondly termed it." Kyoko hummed playfully. "Honestly, haven't you ever wondered why I keep following you when I'm supposed to be protecting both heirs to the throne?"

"Actually I've been wondering about that too for a while." Makoto piped in.

That's another mystery that Kyoko carried with her. As far as Mukuro knew, Kyoko was never around Junko because she was always with Mukuro instead. The few times that Kyoko did spend with Junko were all underlined by the fact that she was only there because Mukuro was there in the first place. Mukuro had even asked her sister if Kyoko ever hung out with her from time to time but she just pouted and complained that Mukuro spent more time with the Sheikah rather than with her own twin. This only confirmed her suspicions. She never did question it before though. She was always too busy enjoying Kyoko's company to notice how abnormal it was for her to be always by her side. But now that she thought about it, she chalked it up to practical reasons.

Mukuro's brow furrowed as she thought about it. "Isn't it because I'm more prone to danger since I keep away from the royal guards?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Kyoko said cryptically in the same way she always would whenever she was hiding something. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"Why would you ask that but not say which answer is correct?" Makoto asked, puzzled as always from her ambiguous manner of speech.

"It's precisely because I asked that I'm not going to give away the answer. That's your job." Kyoko said teasingly with a wink. "Besides, I'm entitled to keep a few mysteries."

"Few is putting it lightly." Mukuro commented offhandedly. "You're keeping way too many."

"It's part of my charm." Kyoko giggled full of mirth. "How about you, Makoto? Mukuro and I already have our minds set on our futures but what are your plans?"

Makoto pursed his lips and chuckled weakly. "Honestly, I haven't actually thought that far ahead."

"How normal." Mukuro remarked.

"How boring." Kyoko seconded.

"Hey! Well _sorry_ for being born average." He frowned slightly. Just because they had cooler things to do didn't mean that he had to as well. The most exciting things he's ever done has always been with them anyways. He knew that they didn't mean it as an insult and that they were just teasing him but that didn't mean he was happy about it. "And why do you two always gang up on me? That's not fair!"

"That's because you're too easy to pick." Mukuro said matter-of-factly.

"And your reactions are the cutest." Kyoko supported her.

"Thanks? I guess?" Makoto flushed at that. No, wait. They were teasing him again. He huffed indignantly. "I mean, no thanks!"

This just caused the other two to giggle in amusement.

"See? How cute!"

"He's blushing. How expected."

Makoto sighed dejectedly, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Seriously guys, quit it." He whined.

"Okay, we will." Mukuro smirked.

"For now." Kyoko winked.

He's sure that they'll tease him again sooner or later but for now, he's just thankful that they chose to stop right there before it got too out of hand. They had a habit of going overboard when they're having fun. Sometimes their teasings escalated too much that they made it into a game to see just how fast or how red he could blush. They'd get too invested in it that it was hard to tell if they were still joking or if they were taking this seriously. Those were the absolutely most embarrassing games for him especially since it was only him who was always on the hotseat. He'd rather not have a go at that today, or on any other day for that matter. He shook his head as he banished the compromising memories. Rather than focusing on the past, he had the future to think about.

"Anyways, since you already asked, maybe I should try thinking about my future now." Makoto closed his eyes in deep concentration.

He took a deep breath and relaxed further. With a gentle breeze passing right by him and the soft grass underneath him, he felt so calm and free. It was almost as if his soul was floating. Even though he hadn't moved an inch, the sensations surrounding him had piqued his imagination. A mental image of him just roaming freely had formed inside his head. He'd go to all the places he's heard of and then some he hasn't heard of. The destination didn't matter as long as he was out there roaming like a free spirit. And he figured that it wasn't such a bad idea to start with.

"Hmm…" Makoto hummed lightly. "I guess I'll just continue the family business and do a lot of traveling while at it."

"You're still traveling with your father, right?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah, but next year, I'm going to go on my own trips alone." Makoto said, his voice brimming with pride. "You're not the only one who's getting special privileges at the coming of age."

"I never implied such a thing." Mukuro said defensively but the slight tug at her lips showed that she was joking as well.

Makoto just chuckled. "Just laying it out there."

"Will you be visiting here more often then?" Kyoko piped inquisitively.

That's right. Once he got his freedom that meant he could visit the Capital whenever he wanted to. Not only that, he could also stay for longer than just a month at a time. Maybe he could even set up his own physical store here so that he could stay even longer. He hadn't realized the full potential of his own idea. Truthfully, he hadn't thought of that. He's just making this up as it goes.

"Not sure yet. I mean, I just did come up with the idea all of a sudden so the details are still a little vague." Makoto answered honestly. He didn't have any solid plans as of yet so it was hard to promise anything.

"So that's a no then." Mukuro frowned, obviously disappointed.

"Hey, I didn't say that. I'll be sure to visit on special occasions on top our usual two months but I can't promise that I'd stay longer." He said as comfortingly as he could. Then he stretched an arm outward towards the sky, his voice filled with determination. "I want to visit you guys as much as I like to but I also want to see how far I can go."

"Never figured you were the sightseeing type." Kyoko commented.

"It's not just the sights. It's the people." Makoto nodded excitedly. "I want to meet all sorts of people and collect all sorts of experiences."

"That's understandable. Knowing you, you'd probably end up befriending every stranger you meet." Mukuro pointed out.

"That's also one reason. I want to help as many people as I can. The more I travel, the more people I get to meet along the way and the more opportunities for me to help anyone in need."

"What's the other reason?" Kyoko asked as she shot him a sideway glance.

"That way, when I do come back to visit you guys, I'd have lots of stories to tell." Then in his earnest voice, he spoke tenderly. "And no matter how many I meet, no matter who I befriend, I know that in the end, I'll just keep coming back to you guys."

"That's too sentimental even for you." Kyoko held his left hand.

"Just say what you really want to say." Mukuro held his right hand.

"Really, ganging up on me again. But it's okay, this time I'll say it properly." Makoto gently squeezed both of their hands and then tried to channel as much feelings as he could in his voice. He spoke from the heart when he said, "You two are the bestest friends I could ever hope for. And I love you!" He finished off with a dazzling smile.

"Yes, we know and you already know that the feeling's mutual." Kyoko said dryly but her eyes shone with warmth.

"We love you too." Mukuro said blankly but there was a slight tug on her lips.

They shared a long moment of comfortable and warm silence, just enjoying each other's company.

"Hey, I know! Why don't we all travel together sometime?" He suddenly sat up in his excitement and grinned widely at them. "I mean once things settle down on your side. After the coronation and all. After that, we should definitely go on a trip together!"

The two girls sat up as well and joined in his excitement, they were now all properly facing each other with hopeful looks.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Kyoko agreed and looked at him approvingly.

"I don't want to leave my sister for long. But I suppose I could for short trips." Mukuro conceded and offered a small smile.

"Let's promise on it!" Makoto let go both of their hands only to enthusiastically raise his pinky finger in anticipation.

Which brought out not so promising responses from his friends.

"A pinky swear? Really? How old are you again?" Kyoko snorted openly at him.

"And aren't these supposed to be between two people only?" Mukuro snickered behind her hands.

"Hey! All you had to say was no. No need for those comments." Makoto pouted defeatedly.

While he wasn't looking, the two girls exchanged knowing glances, an unspoken agreement passed.

Kyoko merely chuckled. "We didn't say we'd refuse."

Mukuro wore a smirk at best. "Right. Of course, we'll swear on it."

"I'm serious about this, you guys." He almost pleaded because they were messing with him again.

"Yeah, and so are we." They both replied with barely contained mirth.

After a few more rounds of bickering, they finally started on the promise.

"Let's travel sometime." Makoto raised his pinky finger.

"When we're all together." Kyoko connected hers.

"And we'll do it as best friends." Mukuro tied the final knot.

And on the count of three, they all cheered, "It's a promise!"

Little did they know that this promise would be their last happy memory together before all hell broke loose.

* * *

_There is a recurring prophecy._

_Of an ultimate evil that will descend upon Hyrule and its inhabitants._

* * *

_The kingdom of Hyrule fell into despair overnight._

A collective movement of bandits raided a number of towns simultaneously. No one knew who they were or where they came from, just that they all were part of the same despicable group who wore menacing masks and cloaked themselves in black and white. It was unclear as to what their goal was. Most bandits pillaged for money but these bandits, if they were really bandits in the first place, were different. They didn't take anything monetary but instead stole lives. They just suddenly appeared with seemingly no purpose other than to wreak chaos and torment wherever they went. Nobody has even heard of them before that night but in the morning, all of Hyrule shall cower in fear over them and everyone knew of their name.

The detestable and elusive group would later on be dubbed as the Harbingers of Despair.

Flaming arrows poured from the sky as if they were falling stars and this was a form of divine punishment. But there was nothing divine about this at all. Behind those masks were real people. And later on, rumors would have it that they were ordinary people, not just a ragtag group of criminals. They were the kind of people who you'd greet on a daily basis and wouldn't suspect anything from or so the rumors would claim. It was terrifying to think of what great force could have possessed hundreds of people into acting so savagely and without remorse. Fires quickly spread throughout the land by their own doing and no town was spared.

Even though it was late into the night, the land of Hyrule was bright from the widespread burning fields and houses.

It was a sight to behold and to tremble was worse than any natural calamity. This was completely man-made which made it all the more sickening. They took everything and left nothing but ashes and gloom in their wake. Escape was futile since all the routes were blazed, and the few who managed to flee didn't even make it that far. Many of the marauders were skilled at hunting and so they hunted down people as if they were animals for game. They spared no lives and whatever corpse they left was soon engulfed in the flames. Every desecrated town had become nothing but a ghost town overnight.

And among the villages that were scourged were those of Makoto and Kyoko, both whereabouts were unknown but presumably there were no survivors.

Even the Hyrule Castle wasn't spared from the onslaught. Perhaps it was the castle that took the most damage. For what the castle had lost, the whole land of Hyrule had lost as well. Even the mightiest of the royal guards had fallen under the hands of the marauders and once the strongest had been taken care of, everyone else easily followed. In the midst of the raid, all of the royal family and its attendants were struck down. Well, almost everyone.

If it wasn't for Mukuro's quick thinking and her fighting prowess, then she and Junko would have long been dead by now. By the time she noticed that the castle was in siege, she immediately took out a sword she had hidden under her bed and then bolted out of her room in search of her twin. She found her whole family inside the royal chambers. However, only Junko was alive. It was already too late for their parents. The sight of their corpses only filled Mukuro with determination. She would never let the same fate fall for her sister.

With sword in one hand and her sister's hand in the other, she cut down every enemy they came acrossed with. But even she had her limits. She may have been trained for fighting but splitting her attention in order to protect her sister cost her too much energy. She'd run out of stamina at this rate and there were just too many of them for her simply power through. But she didn't have a choice. No, that's not it. She already made her choice. And she chose to protect her only family left even if it took her life to do so.

With hardened determination, she clenched her sword tighter and sliced through her foes harder. She would not falter. And so she continued to plow her way through the hallways, her arm was growing heavier with fatigue but her was resolve only increasing in desperation. She wanted to be stronger than this. She _needed_ to be stronger this. She wished with all her might that she was stronger than this. _Please_ , let her be stronger than this.

Unbeknownst to her, her right hand glowed faintly. Mukuro was too busy hacking through enemies to notice such small flicker of light. However, beside her, Junko's lips curled uncannily.

When they reached the ground floor of the castle, they were able to avoid the lot of them by taking a hidden passage which Mukuro didn't know about but Junko did. None of the marauders did apparently since they encountered no one and thankfully it allowed them temporary reprieve. The tunnel stretched farther than they could see and it was pitch black in darkness but at least there was a torch by the entrance. Mukuro's glad that she brought her survival kit with her which conveniently had flintstones to light a fire with. The walk was quiet and tense, not quite willing to talk yet just in case there was someone waiting to ambush them. They didn't know how long they've been in there or how far they've walked but the tunnel seemed to be almost endless. Once they reached the end of the passage, they found themselves much farther from the castle than they expected. Mukuro made the mistake of thinking it was morning because of how bright the outside was but once her vision refocused, she realized with sinking horror that it was still night. And that everywhere was bright for all the wrong reasons.

It's only then that she realized that it wasn't only Hyrule castle which has been laid siege.

Mukuro's protective instincts instantly flared as she turned and checked her sister for any sign of injury even though her own hands were still shaking. She didn't know if she was trembling from fear or from fatigue, maybe a horrible mixture of both. Even her usual expressionless face had cracked under the pressure as she asked her twin with urgency, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt while "

Junko on the other hand, looked as energetic as ever despite the fact that her clothes were tattered from their narrow escape and that blood was splattered all over her. Miraculously, none of the blood was hers and she came out unscathed. She beamed widely. "Nope! I'm peachy as ever thanks to you, Muku."

"Thank goodness." Mukuro heaved a sigh of relief as her knees finally gave way. She used all her strength back there into her arms that she didn't have any left for legs. That was her closest brush with death. That was her _sister's_ closest brush with death. They almost didn't make it. And as she thought of that nightmare, her shoulders shook violently. Even her voice was trembling with fear. "I don't know what I... I would've done if… if you..." She stopped herself from finishing the sentence as if it was a death sentence itself.

"Ssh, it's okay. It's okay." Junko hugged her from behind and placed her head atop of Mukuro's shoulder so that their cheeks were touching. The warmth greatly comforted Mukuro and she had to stop herself from crying when Junko started rocking her back and forth, whispering soothing words every now and then. "I'm here. I'm alive right now. And it's all thanks to you."

The words were breaking through her shock. That's right. They made it through alive and they're far away from that hellhole. Against all odds, they survived through that harrowing ordeal. Mukuro managed to pull it off with what meager strength she had. Junko's safe now and she couldn't ask for anything else in this world. As she focused on that fact alone, she eventually calmed down until her shallow breaths were now steadied. A few tears trickled down her eyes squeezed shut but that was all she cried. Her sister had managed to calm her down enough to prevent herself from breaking into sobs. She was picking up the whatever pieces that were left now.

They may have been surrounded by death but at the very least, they were still alive.

She hiccuped and then spoke in a small, scared voice, almost whispering, "Junko, I think we're the only ones left."

If they were only facing each other, she would have seen Junko's eyes roll at her. "Oh, totally. Did you see the way they slit our folks' throats? Bloody mess. Technique was too sloppy for my taste. Horrible execution if you asked me to judge and I was there. It was so _gross_!" She said flippantly as if she was retelling juicy gossip rather than the gruesome demise of their parents.

A chill ran down Mukuro's spine. "You…saw?" She hesitantly asked. Something about the way her twin had described it rang alarm bells in her head. She's heard of how trauma could make a person behave erratically and so she feared her sister may have still been in shock. "Junko, are you alright?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Junko hollered rather cheerfully for someone who just lost her parents. "Those guys have been at our throats ever since anyways so let's not give them the satisfaction of holding us back in death."

Mukuro shrank back in what she could only describe as uncertainty. Was this really Junko talking or was it just the shock? She wanted to believe that it was the latter. The trauma must have been too severe for her to handle, after all, she just watched their parents die in front of her. No wonder her personality was all over the place. But even so, this was still an extreme change. This was the first time she's seen her act like this. Junko was always eccentric but she was never this heartless. It was like she was a completely different person altogether. A different in all the worse ways kind of person. This was all wrong. And a foreboding feeling rose from her chest.

"I didn't know you had… such strong feelings for them." Mukuro uncomfortably rubbed her arms, confused at the sudden appearance of goosebumps out of nowhere.

"Not anymore! Cause who gives a fuck over dead people! Like good riddance!" Junko cheered as if celebrating their parents' deaths rather than mourning over them. And then she affectionately hugged her sister tighter as she spoke to her tenderly. "The important thing is that we're still alive."

There was still something wrong about Junko but for now, Mukuro didn't care as long as she was alright.

"You're right. We're still alive." Mukuro swallowed dryly, her eyes still glazed from all that's happened. But what would happen next? She voiced out her concern, "Where do we go from here?"

Junk pulled back to the side so that now they were able to see each other face to face. She spoke with such a tender tone that Mukuro had almost imagined a previous version of her sister, the more sincere kind, the one whom she loved dearly. "Do you trust me?"

Mukuro hesitated for a moment. But as soon as that moment passed, she then remembered that this was still her sister talking and she loved her sister above everything else in the world. No matter what, she'd blindly trust her. "Of course, I do."

Junko just smiled wider and it warped around the edges. The crazed look in her eyes would forever haunt Mukuro. "Then you can go ahead and die."

Hundreds of Hylians died that night and among the death toll were Makoto, Kyoko, and Mukuro.

_That night would later on be called as the start of The Great Cataclysm foretold in the legends._

* * *

_It will spread gloom across the lands and all that it touches will slowly die inside,_

_And the world shall fall into despair._

* * *

The blazing sun rose above and shone brightly the following day but its brilliance still paled in comparison to last night's raging flames.

In just overnight, the green landscape of Hyrule had been scorched to a charcoal black. The land was now just a mere shadow of its former glory. There were no longer houses to live in, only ruins that were barely standing. There were no corpses to bury, only ashes scattered by the wind. As for those who survived the horrorshow, they too were mirrored the state of the land. They were shadows of their livelier selves, wandering aimlessly with glazed eyes. They were robbed of their homes and livelihoods, their families and friends, and it seemed that they were also robbed of their souls. All the while, a corrosive blackness took root deep inside their already weakened hearts.

The worst had still yet to come.

It didn't stop with just that night. The kingdom of Hyrule was in constant mourning as tragedy after tragedy befell over the land and its inhabitants. The incidents escalated faster and further until it wasn't just the Harbingers of Despair wreaking havoc and destruction. Soon, even the ordinary citizens gave into despair and instigated disasters of their own making. It was like a disease of gloom was spreading across the land and infected everyone it reached. No one was immune to it, no matter the age, the social status, or the mental health, it did not discriminate with its victims. As soon as the sinking feeling of hopelessness set in then that person was already a goner. There was no cure for this black plague as it claimed the minds and eventually the lives of hundreds of people.

And during this dark period, the people were all seeking out refuge. They needed something, just about _anything_ as long as it could get them through another hopeless day. Everywhere was just full of despair that they desperately searched all over for a safe haven from it. They didn't want to feel hopeless anymore. And a lot of them killed themselves rather than face it. They were so sick and tired of hopeless. They wanted something else. They needed something that has been missing ever since the night of the First Tragedy. They needed something to believe in. They needed hope.

And so they clung onto the proclaimed hope named Junko.

As the only surviving member of the Royal Family, she automatically ascended to the throne and governed all of Hyrule. Her survival from the First Tragedy was interpreted as her being favored by the Goddesses and the citizens quickly revered her as such. She embodied the promise of not only restoration but also of more miracles to come. Whatever decision she made as the newly coronated queen was accepted without any complaints. They all completely trusted her guidance with blind faith and worshipped all her works with unrestrained adoration.

They raised her as a shining pillar of hope and entrusted their futures to her.

* * *

_The Triforce of Power grants true power. The bearer has untold mystical abilities including absolute strength and invulnerability._

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone else, Mukuro lived on as a ghost with no name.

"Junko? What do you mean by having me die?" Mukuro had asked her, unconsciously stiffening within her sister's embrace. It's not like she was afraid of her sister, it was more like she was afraid of what her sister had become. And what she had in store for her.

"Well everything has literally gone up in smokes. Hell, even our dearest parents were irresponsible enough to leave all the clean up to us!" Junko declared boisterously, one arm slung over Mukuro's shoulder and the other stretched to pan over the burning horizon. "Hyrule's in crisis so it needs a leader right now and we're all that's left. So tell me, Muku. Do you want to be that leader?"

Mukuro was hesitant. It's strange. All her life, she's avoided anything to do with being next in line to the throne. She didn't want to be a leader, she wanted to be a soldier instead. However, for the first time in her life, she faltered. It was easier to dream of becoming something else when it was still peaceful and she lived a carefree life. But this was different. She couldn't ignore her responsibilities anymore. The kingdom was in peril and it was decreed in her blood that she should step up during times of crisis just like this one. She may have wanted to be a soldier but the people needed a leader now and last time she checked, the welfare of the citizens were more important than her selfish dreams.

But that didn't change the fact that she'd most likely be horrible at being a leader.

"No…" She shook her head. "I don't think I'm fit for the job."

"Exactly! That's why I'm taking one for the team and stepping up as the new queen." She lauded herself as she stood up and bowed as if she was before a huge audience and she just finished a performance on stage. "Thank you very much! And you're also welcome!"

It made sense for Junko to be queen. After all, they've planned for it all their lives. However, for her to rule alone worried Mukuro. Had it been a more peaceful time then she would have gladly let her be but this may be too much for Junko to handle. So Mukuro wanted to make sure and voiced out her concern, "But won't you need help in ruling? I know I never paid much attention during lessons but if I could help you in anyway as a princess then I'm willing to go so far."

"I'm touched by the offer, really, I am but trust me, you're better help as a lapdog. Oops, I meant personal bodyguard." She giggled sweetly. "Besides, isn't this what you've always wanted? I'm going to be queen and now you're head of the Royal Guards! Well, technically, you'll be the _only_ Royal Guard but who cares? I get what I want, you get what you want, everyone wins!"

Junko had a point. Even though the circumstance were different, it still hardly changed anything. Even if Mukuro wanted to help her, she just didn't have the skills nor the knowledge to be of much use anyways. She was better off in a suit of armor and helm rather than a gown and crown. There's just one thing she still didn't understand about the plan.

"But why do I need to die?" Mukuro asked confusedly, almost despairingly. Did Junko really mean that? Was she that useless that her being alive was just as pointless? Was she throwing her away? She pursed her lips inwardly as her hands clenched tightly, just like how hard she was grasping for any excuse to live. "What if Hyrule needed me?"

" _Please,_ Hyrule doesn't need _you_." Junko declared matter-of-factly and Mukuro's heart sank because she knew that it was true. However, just before she could resign herself to death, Junko called out to her earnestly, "But _I_ need you, sis."

Mukuro's head was still looking down when Junko lightly tipped her chin upward so that now they stared at each other, with Mukuro still knelt on the ground while Junko stood over her looming.

"Now that everyone's dead, you're the only one left I can rely on. As my sister, I already know that I can trust you no matter what. Others? Not so much. There'll be tons of people who'll try to usurp my power while I'm queen." Junko's hand moved upward and then gently caressed Mukuro's cheek but not in affection. It felt like she was treating her more like a prized possession but an object still nonetheless. "That's where you come in. I need you to be there for me but I need you to be a secret. That way, you can easily take care of the trash without any of us taking in suspicion."

It was only then that Mukuro understood what she meant by having her die. "So you're saying that I'm more useful as a fake dead princess?"

"Now you're talking my lingo!" She hollered as she pulled back her hand only to give her an encouraging thumbs up. "Don't take it personally, this is just the best I could come up with so far. Besides you'll only be _temporary_ dead. Once all of this blows over, you can just rise from the dead with a sob story that's totally believable but still totally fake."

Mukuro admittedly hadn't thought of that. She thought that she'd stay dead to the world for good. Although she disliked the idea of lying to the people, she had her priorities. She knew what she had to do. "Even if it's only temporary, the best way for me to support you right now is from the shadows."

"Pretty much. This is the only way we can afford a chance to save Hyrule." She nodded and implored Mukuro to accept her plan. "You know I wouldn't ask this from you if I knew you couldn't do it. And I'm sure you'll be safer working behind the scenes. I'm just looking out for you as your sister." She said with battling eyelashes.

Mukuro's heart reflexively clenched when Junko used the sister card. She knew that Mukuro was always weak against it and so she only used it whenever she really needed or wanted something.

"So will you die? Please? For me?" Junko pleaded in a small and vulnerable voice that was hard to refuse for anyone with a conscience.

She didn't even need to ask. "Okay, I'll do it." Mukuro could never turn her down, not even if she asked for her to actually die. "I'll die for you."

"Thank you so much!" Junko cheered as she tightly held both of Mukuro's hands together. "Don't worry, sis. I'll take care of Hyrule. Just make sure to take care of little ol' me! Upupu!" Her grin was lopsided.

That was the night Mukuro "died".

It's been a year ever since and Junko had been right just like always. Even though Mukuro kept herself hidden behind the scenes, she was still there most of the time that Junko was fulfilling her duties. Mukuro didn't understand even half of what she did and she doubted she'd have the same confidence her sister had as she pulled off work after work. And since Junko was already naturally beautiful, people were more inclined to negotiate with her amicably. The people of Hyrule trusted in Junko so much that Mukuro recognized the glaring gap between them. They may have been born as twins but the difference between them in terms of capabilities were stark.

It appeared that Junko didn't need much of Mukuro's help after all. She handled most of the affairs and there weren't a lot of attempts at assassination either so Mukuro unexpectedly had a lot of free time on her hands. She didn't provide much protection because it was mostly unnecessary. As far as she knew, the people loved Junko and no one even dared to make an enemy out of her.

So Mukuro was often sent off to pass messages instead to a close circle of friends whom Junko personally trusted. Honestly, Mukuro didn't know what her sister saw in them because Mukuro did not trust them at all. She thought of them as suspicious since every time she met any one of them, her instincts blared at her. These were obviously dangerous people and she's slightly concerned as to how Junko met them, and much more that she had befriended them. But she trusted Junko so by extension, she had at least given them the benefit of a doubt. They hadn't pull off anything on her yet but she always kept her guard up around them. So from bodyguard role, she had been reduced to messenger duty but she didn't mind. As long as she could help her sister, she'd put her best effort into it no matter what it was.

This was all for the sake of her sister and for the restoration of Hyrule.

However, no matter how much Junko toiled, the work just kept piling. There was always someone in need and something to do that even after that was dealt with, another issue would just crop up. It was like every problem had congregated into a complicated mess of knots. There were just too many knots that untying one knot would do nothing but just change the shape of the hodgepodge without really solving anything. A lot of times, in an attempt to fix a specific problem, it would just make it tremendously worse. Truly, the struggles Hyrule was facing were endless.

And as if Mukuro didn't have enough of the kingdom's problems to deal with, she also had an urgent one she had yet to figure out what to do with. She tightly shut her eyes and slowly peeled off both of her gloves. The truth was that she only needed to remove just one but she took off both anyways even if only just to prolong this moment. She wished with all her might that this time would be different. That this time, her hand would be different. That this time, she would not be different. But when she opened her eyes, all she saw was disappointment.

The symbol of the Triforce was imprinted on the back of the hand, the top triangle glowed faintly.

"Power." Mukuro barked, as if the word was poison and it had burned through her tongue.

Even though she's done this a hundred times before, she still always hoped that somehow the symbol would disappear the next time she checked. She always ended up disappointed anyways like now. Ever since she received the mark on that fateful tragic night, she's been wearing gloves to cover the unearthly glow it released. Aside from her twin, no one else needed to know that she had this, that she was a Triforce bearer, and that she held Power.

Out of all the Triforces pieces, she just had to get Power. She didn't even want to be a bearer in the first place. All she wanted was to become a guard or a soldier and to protect the people she loved. That's why she has sought for strength all these years. Yes, she wanted to be stronger and she needed the power, but she didn't ask for anything she couldn't acquire on her own. She wanted to get stronger on her own terms and she'd earn the power through her own training. She didn't need divine intervention nor did she ask for it. She never asked for _this_ Power.

She should be happy. She's impervious of wounds. She should be happy. She's now stronger than ever. She should be happy. She had godlike powers. She should be happy. She's been blessed by the Goddesses. She should be happy. She was chosen to be a legendary bearer. She should be happy.

She should be happy.

And yet, that was the last thing Mukuro felt.

_Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely._

* * *

_The Triforce of Wisdom imparts divine wisdom. The bearer has untold mystical abilities including the ability to heal and to communicate telepathically._

* * *

The ghosts of the past have a way of catching up.

"You're alive." Mukuro breathed in relief as her eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

"I could say the same to you." The other person spoke knowingly, it seemed like she wasn't surprised at all.

As Mukuro was passing through the desert and on her way to deliver another message for her sister, a gleam caught her eyes around the corner of her peripheral vision. She's still less than halfway through the dropoff point but just in case this was important, she decided to investigate the area. Once she was close enough to the source of the glimmer, it was revealed to be a mirror tied onto a stick. It was a clear, cloudless night so the moonlight reflected off of it which caused the sparkle she saw from afar. Now all she had to figure out was how it got there. This was an unnatural setup. Someone had obviously tied this and placed it here but who and for what reason? Were they even still in the area?

And so Mukuro continued her investigation and found a light trail of footsteps. Judging from the strength of the wind and from how much of the shape was preserved, she concluded that they were only recently made. Had they fled when they realized she was approaching? If that's the case then perhaps it was better if she left them alone. But for some reason, Mukuro thought that it was actually the opposite. Whoever did this was beckoning her to follow them. If they actually fled because of her then they would have seen her coming from afar and could have fled early and properly. The knot told her that this person was no amateur so they couldn't have just forgotten to cover their tracks. Which only meant that whoever this was, they specifically targeted her and Mukuro would not turn down their invitation.

At the end of the trail was a woman. A woman whom she knew and loved. There stood Kyoko, in solitary, stunning, beautiful, breathing and _alive_. She was alive. Mukuro couldn't believe her eyes as her steps began gaining pace. This must be a mirage even though that was impossible because it was already evening. Then this must be a hallucination her mind thought of to comfort her along the long journey. However, as she got closer and closer to the said illusion, the closer she got to reality. She was so close now that was able to touch the illusion and it felt solid warm and _real._ Until she wasn't just touching her, she was fully embracing her now. This was no illusion, this was real. Her best friend Kyoko was here and she was breathing full of life.

They crossed paths one night purely by chance. But then again, this was Kyoko so perhaps it was less of a coincidence and more of a premeditated meeting. That was usually the case with her so she wouldn't put it pass by her to have set this up. Well, it wasn't like Mukuro minded anyways. She's still overjoyed over the fact that one of her best friends was still alive.

"You're not a ghost, right?" Mukuro murmured in wonder as she buried her face in Kyoko's hair and breathed in the faintest traces of the mysterious perfume that she nostalgically remembered as only Kyoko used it. A sigh of happiness escaped her lips.

"Be sensible. Ghosts aren't real and I'm definitely real as you can tell." Kyoko refuted in a light tone as she affectionately coursed her fingers through Mukuro's short hair. A smirk graced her lips. "And for the record, if I were to become a ghost then I would have properly haunted you by pulling off pranks on you and whatnot."

Mukuro chuckled freely. "It's good to know that you haven't changed either."

"Of course, I'm charming as always." Kyoko cheekily declared.

She just rolled her eyes. "More like annoying."

"Better annoyingly witty than delirious. I never took you as the type to believe in superstition." She scoffed.

Mukuro had definitely missed this, this playful banter, this annoying sarcasm, this frustrating wit and most importantly, she had missed Kyoko.

She took a sharp breath and then whispered, "I thought that they killed off all the Sheikah."

"They did." Kyoko unconsciously tugged harder at her hair as she spoke through gritted teeth. A growl was caught in her throat. It's rare to see the normally composed Kyoko to lose her control on her emotions but then again her reasons were understandable. Her people were slaughtered and nothing could ever bring them back. "All Sheikah are dead. Or at least, they failed to do so." She hissed with venom at the tip of her tongue. I'm the only one left."

Mukuro swallowed. She knew this was a sensitive topic but she couldn't stop the question that left her lips, "How did you survive?"

Kyoko pulled away only to look Mukuro in the eyes with such burning intensity. Her stare was just so powerful, in it was a mixture of pain, sorrow, and confusion. Mukuro has never seen her so conflicted in the whole time she's spent with her. There's uncertainty in her when she proceeded to take off one of her gloves only to reveal a familiar image. She held up her right hand and spoke, "With this…"

The symbol of the Triforce was imprinted on the back of the hand, the bottom left triangle glowed faintly.

"Wisdom." Mukuro said in awe. How fitting.

She wasn't even surprised anymore. Kyoko was ever the wise one even if most of the time she expressed it through snarky comments and biting sarcasm. She always knew something about everything and even when asked, she didn't always reveal her hand. She tackled issues calmly and methodologically, investigating all angles of the problem before concluding anything. As a Sheikah, she should have been trained in only stealth and combat but she went beyond that. She prided herself with her knowledge rather than physical prowess and she used that to her advantage all the time. She only acted upon reason and logic. Truly, if there was anyone who embodied wisdom then it was none other than Kyoko.

"What about you?" Kyoko inquired as she slipped back on her glove.

Mukuro flinched at the question. Surely, Kyoko hadn't figured out her secret, had she? Her right hand moved on its own and pulled back behind her. "...What?" She asked hesitantly.

Kyoko skeptically raised an eyebrow at her but aside from that, her face was as unreadable as always. "You're obviously alive. So why proclaim to the world that you're dead while your sister's prancing about in daylight?"

She mentally sighed in relief. So that's what she was asking about and not… anyways, she had to answer quickly or she could raise suspicions on herself. "There's no need for a royal second opinion."

"Your kingdom needs you." She stated plainly, matter-of-factly even.

"The kingdom needs a queen. Junko is more than enough for that." She simply shrugged.

"Really?" Kyoko said, her voice raised and was slowly escalating. "Because the last time I checked, the kingdom is still under despair and your sister hasn't done much to solve this crisis."

Now that earned Mukuro's spite. "You don't know what she's been doing."

"I know enough." She scoffed and then crossed her arms. "She's problematic."

"Don't ever talk like that about Junko." She snarled at her as her fists clenched.

"What? You mean talking about the truth?" She sneered with her eyes narrowed judgingly.

"You're painfully blunt as ever."

"And you're still weak around your sister as ever."

They both glared at each other scornfully. A stark contrast to their heartwarming greeting earlier.

Mukuro took in a deep breath to compose herself. Kyoko was riling her up and it was working. It wasn't just for fun either. Kyoko rarely severely taunted Mukuro on purpose unless she needed something from her, something she could only reveal when she lost control. Which meant that Kyoko suspected something and she needed Mukuro to confirm it for her. She didn't know what she knew exactly but Mukuro couldn't risk it. So as much as she wanted to defend her sister's honor, right now it was more important for her to back down and take a breather.

"What difference does it make if I'm alive to the people?" Mukuro muttered bitterly.

Kyoko maintained her stance. "The difference is that Junko won't be ruling Hyrule alone."

"What are you implying?" She grunted.

"That your sister can't be trusted." Kyoko's mouth didn't even move but Mukuro knew for certain what she heard. The words reverberated in her head. This must be an acquired ability from the triforce.

Mukuro's grateful that they weren't said out loud because she's not sure what she would have done. She never did handle too well blasphemy against her sister. That's why she spoke through gritted teeth, "...On what grounds?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." Kyoko said cryptically.

Another tense silence passed between them. The tension was so thick that it was almost hard to breathe.

Since Mukuro refused to comment on what Kyoko had just said, Kyoko decided to continue their discussion. "Look, it doesn't have to be this way. We can still save Hyrule."

Mukuro wearily sighed. She knew that Kyoko always had good intentions, she was aware of that. It's just that she always got carried away whenever anyone remotely insulted her sister. Kyoko was just thinking of the future of Hyrule and to her, it wasn't anything personal. Mukuro was just being childish or so she thought. She knew from experience just how intelligent Kyoko was so if she thought that there was a way then it must be true. "What's your plan?"

"You know the recurring prophecy." It wasn't even a question but a statement of fact.

There wasn't a person in the land who didn't know the prophecy. As long as you were born in Hyrule, you've probably heard of it at least once in your life. It's a bedtime story for children and a foreboding premonition for adults. It's a tale passed down from one generation to the next. It never dies because it's always bound to happen. It's happened countless times before and it would happen again. That's why it has been described as recurring which made it all the more important for everyone to remember.

Everyone knew the prophecy. Most especially her.

"Yes." She answered through gritted teeth.

"What Hyrule is experiencing now is similar to the previous tragedies it has experienced before. Someone's been messing with the forces again. I'm planning to look for the other bearers of the triforce and go from there."

"I see." Mukuro said blankly as she stared down, her face devoid of any emotion.

Kyoko placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke tenderly, "You're welcome to come with me."

For a moment, Mukuro's eyes softened at the sentiment, but in the next, they returned to its hardened glare. Even if this was her best friend, she was asking for the impossible. "Why should I go with you?"

She just shook her head and looked at her sympathetically. "Even if I answered that, I know that you won't come anyways."

"Then why bother asking in the first place?" She asked confusedly.

"It was worth a shot. I know you can't leave your sister." Kyoko just smiled at her in a melancholic way that was painful to stare at. She looked like she was hurting. "Not for me alone."

"..." She replied with silence. There was nothing she could say against that.

"It was nice seeing you again." She said as she began to walk away.

But a hand abruptly reached for hers and stopped her.

"I can't join you but…" Mukuro paused and slowly withdrew her hand. If she could, she would have jumped at the chance to help her. Honestly, she would've liked nothing else but to join her best friend in her quest but she couldn't. Her arms hung limply at her sides. She didn't even deserve the right to give her a farewell embrace. The most she could offer her were her sincere words. "I wish you the best. Take care, Kyoko."

She smiled, this time it was lighter, more genuine. "You take care too. Especially around your sister."

And with that, she disappeared into the night and this time, there were no traces of her. Mukuro considered if she had imagined all of this. But the lingering scent of her best friend told her that she had been there. Kyoko was alive and that fact alone had made this night vastly better. It seemed as if the stars were shining brighter now. And as Mukuro turned around and prepared to return to her journey, she heard a familiar voice speak in her head.

"We'll definitely meet again. And next time, it won't be just the two of us."

There was a hidden meaning underneath her words. And it wouldn't be until they finally reunite again that she'd understand just what she had foreshadowed.

_Wisdom is knowing how to talk less but still revealing more._

* * *

_The Triforce of Courage embodies exemplary courage. The bearer has untold mystical abilities including protection against evil magic._

* * *

Surprises only work when you least expect them.

"You're…" Mukuro whispered disbelievingly, her jaw agape as she stared at the flinched apparition before her.

"You're… alive?" The other person murmured in astonishment and relief as he stared back with eyes wide in elated surprise.

As Mukuro was on her journey to return to the castle and deliver the message she just received, it seemed like she had been possessed by a strange case of luck. A series of coincidences occurred to her that suspiciously happened one after another. She's used the same route before and never had this happened to her during those countless times so it was slightly concerning. She would have considered the possibility of someone sabotaging the trip if only the coincidences weren't so bizarre. They weren't all that terrible either, just annoying and time-consuming at most.

She was heading back from the mountain province which should have been a quick and easy trip had the roads not collapsed due to a sinkhole appearing out of nowhere. And as much as she wanted to go around the road and enter the forests instead, she would rather not take any chances when the forest was generously named Lost Forest. So she had to take the long route and go through a series of caves that were slightly below ground level. It was another risk because the heavens decided to pour heavily but she paid it no mind. She just had to go through the tunnels quick enough before they flooded and trapped her.

She's familiar with the paths so she's confident she could pull it off. However, when she reached her third intersection, she found out the hard way that the right path had been blocked due to a cave in. The waters were already above her ankles by this point and it was already too late for her to turn around. So she pushed onward and treaded on a different and regrettably, longer path. The water level was now around her knees and she now had to put in some effort into wading through. It was hard to tell how long she'd been in there but that didn't matter. What's important was how much time she had left and how far she had still to go.

Mukuro saw the light at the end of the tunnel even though she still two more turns to take. In fact, the light came from the wrong branching path. That couldn't be the exit. She ran the map through her head for the third time. No, that was definitely a deadend. Which meant there was something or someone down there that was giving off the light. It could be a trap. Water splashed on her waist, a deadly reminder that she couldn't afford to waste time. But then again, it could be a person in need of help. And her conscience wouldn't let her leave without checking just to be sure. She's confident with her swimming ability and she estimated that she could hold her breath long enough in case it led up to that. So with renewed resolve, she decided to take the wrong turn.

And she couldn't have been more right.

When Mukuro neared the end of the path, she found out that the lightsource was no other than a dying torch held up by a man who was a few inches shorter than her. Compared to her, the water already reached his torso and he was clearly having difficulty with wading through the water. His back was turned against her as his hands clung onto the walls while he headed deeper towards the deadend. He must not have known the path otherwise he wouldn't be wasting his time heading down there. He also seemed too concentrated since he hadn't noticed her presence yet despite all the noise and the ripples she made. He was too defenseless.

But more than that, he was too familiar. She didn't know if it was the light playing tricks on her but she could have sworn she recognized that messy mop of brown hair even though it was sopping wet. And before she knew it, her hand had reached out to touch it. A yelp echoed through the walls as the man jumped from the sudden contact and dropped his torch in the process. She was also startled by his reaction which caused her to drop her own torch as well. Darkness enveloped them and there was a certain awkwardness in the air. She wasn't sure if she was having difficulty to breathe because she's been down there for too long or if it was because of the tension. At the very least, she's confirmed that this person was harmless. She could figure out his identity later, for now they both needed to get out. So she took out her emergency torch and lit it, immediately dissipating the darkness that shrouded them.

That's when they properly saw each other for the first time in a long while.

"Makoto." She had already embraced him even before his name left her lips.

There was no mistaking it. This was Makoto. The throbbing of her heart told her so. It only acted up like this whenever she thought of him and right now, the feeling was much more intense. It was painful from losing him a year ago. It was yearning for his companionship and reassurance. And it was absolutely happy at the fact that he's here now. He's here and he's _alive._ She hugged him tighter. He felt freezing under her arms because he's been soaked for so long but she didn't care. The warmth he created inside her chest was more than enough to make up for it. She hardly felt cold at all, she's never felt so warm in her life than in this moment.

"...Mukuro?" His voice sounded distant, as if he was far away, unable to believe in this reunion either. But as soon as the shock subsided, he ardently returned the embrace. He choked on his own sobs of relief. "You're alive! Oh, thank goodness! I… I thought you were..."

They stayed like that for a while. Just relishing in each other's warm and solid presence. Makoto was much shorter than her so he ended up burying his face in the crook of her neck which she didn't mind at all. She just affectionately rubbed her cheek on the top of his head. He chuckled lightly when she did this and his breath tickled at her neck which warmed her up even more. Despite the dangerous situation they were in, she has never felt so calm in her life. He always had that effect on people, especially on her. She felt so safe and reassured that her breaths were already steadying. If it was up to Mukuro, she would have wanted to stay like that for a little while longer but the increasing water levels protested.

"Now's not the time. We need to go." And with that, she tightened her grip around his waist only to unceremoniously hoist him up her shoulder. Even with him wearing a bulky rucksack that looked heavier than him, she still effortlessly lifted him off the ground as if they were weighed nothing.

"W-what are you doing!" He stammered in protest, his arms already flailing but wasn't really putting in effort to break free. Whether consciously or not, it seemed like he had already resigned to this.

She smirked even though she knew he couldn't see it. "This is faster."

True to her words, they exited the tunnels in record time, much to his embarrassment. He was still flushed all over from being carried. This wasn't exactly the first time this has happened and he had a lot of time to reminisce on those past experiences while he was draped over her shoulder. Some things just don't change or so it seemed. She also led the search for higher ground and took shelter under a cavity they found along the walls. They started peeling off their extra layer of clothes and wrung them as dry as they could. She wanted to build a fire but she doubted there was any wood that wasn't wet so they had to make do with what they had for now. The rain continued to pour relentlessly but at least they weren't under it anymore.

"Are you okay? You're not injured, are you?" Mukuro asked as soon as they settled down.

Makoto shook his head and beamed at her. "I'm fine. No damage on my part. Well, I am wetter than I would have liked but at least it's just water and not blood." He then frowned slightly as he rummaged through his drenched bag. "Although I can't say if my items are just as fine with the water."

"I'm glad you're alright." She said with all earnestly as a sigh of relief escaped her lips. She just got him back and she wouldn't know what she'd have done if his life was in any immediate danger again. "What were you doing inside there in the first place?"

"I was trying to get to the village on the other side but I heard the road was blocked or something so I tried my luck at the caves instead." He groaned loudly as his whole frame slumped comically and he even dragged his hand over his face in frustration. "I don't know what I was expecting but I really should have known better than to trust my luck."

Of course, he just had to rely on his luck. The last time his luck worked out for him when he actively depended on it was like never. At least, whenever he placed expectations on it. He had better luck when he wasn't aware of it, as if the mere consideration of it was an automatic jinx. Then again, his bad luck always had a weird way of ultimately ending up into good luck. Case in point: this convenient coincidence of an encounter. She even bet that their meeting was just another consequence of his luck because this was just highly unlikely that it could be considered a miracle that they had met in such unusual circumstances.

And she liked to believe that their meeting was on the good luck end of the spectrum.

"What happened this time?" Mukuro said with an almost straight face. A teasing smirk peaked from her lips.

"Well after a while inside, it started flooding in. And it really took me by surprise that I may have… accidentally dropped my map." Makoto chuckled weakly and then flashed her a lopsided grin. "Thank goodness you were around to _pick me up_!"

She winced at his blatant use of a pun. "Is this really an appropriate time to joke about it?"

"I don't know." He shrugged lightly. "You tell me _water_ the appropriate times to joke."

She groaned at his childish behavior. "Forget I asked. You're going to start again."

"I can't see why you don't enjoy puns. I must have gotten _tunnel vision_ from back there." He playfully wagged his eyebrows at her.

Now _that_ finally broke through her usually stoic face.

"Pfft! Shut up." She snorted and immediately covered her hand before any more laughter escaped.

"You finally laughed!" He cheered triumphantly, satisfied at his own achievement as if it was his greatest accomplishment yet. He always did prefer to see smiles on people and seeing his best friend laugh was priceless. It was totally worth it. "I knew you were _cave-in_ for some good humor."

She lightly punched him in the shoulder. "It was a sympathy laugh." But now it was a full blown laugh and he joined in with her.

Not even the dreary storm could have dampened their spirits as laughter poured out from their chests and bounced onto the walls. It's been ages since any of them have been this happy and it wasn't just from the terrible jokes. Finding out that your best friend was alive all along was more than enough reason to celebrate. That's why they laughed to their hearts' content and then some more. And when their laughter finally subsided, they were heaving from laughing so much and there were still smiles planted on their faces. And inside their chests was a lingering warmth shared between them.

"They said you were dead. Never in my life do I feel so happy about being wrong!" Makoto shouted at the top of his lungs. He was always vocal especially whenever he was ecstatic like right now.

"Likewise. I'm happier with you alive." Mukuro on the other hand was much calmer than him but her voice held a certain tenderness to it. She was reciprocating his sentiment in her own way.

"Wait. Does anyone else know that you're alive?" His face fell as a look of urgency instantly replaced his features. "You...You need to go back to the Capital and tell them!"

A slight frown formed on her lips. She knew this topic would be brought up sooner or later and she wished it had been later. She slowly shook her head. "There's no need. I'm supposedly dead." Her eyes locked firmly with his. "And I need your cooperation to keep it that way."

Confusion glistened in his eyes as he questioned her, "But why?"

"I have my reasons." She said evasively, her lips formed a straight line.

He looked uncomfortable about it and that was to be expected. Makoto was the most honest person she knew and she knew that he disliked any form of deceit. Asking him to keep a secret of this proportion may be too much for him especially since it involved fooling rest of the people of Hyrule. But she gambled on the fact that he liked protecting her more than he disliked lying to others. She trusted him to understand even though she hadn't given any concrete details because he always trusted them without fail. That's just how trusting he was as person and even more so to his best friends.

Makoto looked reluctant at first but in the end, he conceded with a firm nod. "Well, okay. I'll trust you on this." His smile was much more confident. "I'm just glad that you're alive in the first place."

"I'm also relieved to know that you're alive too." She smiled back.

"Yeah, me too." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, I didn't think I'd survive out here alone for this long but I guess my luck hasn't ran out yet."

"Your luck is terrible though." She pointed out.

"That's true but at least it didn't fail me during that horrible night." He laughed halfheartedly, all the humor gone from his system.

It was a sensitive topic but curiosity got the better of her. Still, she hesitantly asked, "Is it alright for me to ask what happened?"

"Yeah, it's okay. I mean, it was horrible but I think it was horrible for everyone." He said as he looked far away with glazed eyes.

He then proceeded to tell his version of the First Tragedy. Some bandits decided to torch down his village for reasons he's not even sure of anymore. When he and his father arrived, they were already too late and everything was burning. They at least managed to find his mother and sister safe but the reunion was short-lived. A lot of things happened in between and long story short, he got separated from his family in all the confusion and strife. He didn't even know if they made it out alive but he's still hoping against all odds that they did. He believed that if he could do it with his worst luck, then they could surely have done so too with better odds. He at least, had to hope.

"So you've been searching for your family all this time?" Mukuro asked after he had finished his piece.

"Yes, I've been traveling all over and asking around for them." Makoto smiled sadly and shook his head. "That and I've been trying to gather information while I'm at it."

Her eyes lit up. She hadn't heard of anything about his family but if it was about something else then she may be of assistance. "What kind of information do you need? I might know."

A long dragging sigh escaped his lips as he released all of his tension there. He looked at her uncertainly. "That's the thing. It's kind of hard to talk about so it's even harder for me to fish around info about it without revealing too much." He groaned dramatically as he covered his face with both hands. "You see, I got into something serious. Well, that's just an understatement. I mean it's over the top serious."

She gently laid her hand on top of his shoulder as a gesture to comfort him. He looked so distressed and she wanted nothing more than to take the stress away. In her most soothing voice, she asked, "What happened?"

He peered through his fingers and spoke cautiously. "I think it's better if I just show it to you." His hands withdrew from his face only to reveal him looking uncertain. He looked so focused and yet at the same time unsettled, as if he was still undecided as to whether or not to go through with this. A shaky breath left his lips as he gripped his hands. With hesitant fingers, he slowly took off his right glove. And there shone a familiar figure she recognized.

The symbol of the Triforce was imprinted on the back of the hand, the bottom right triangle glowed faintly.

"Courage." Mukuro said as she took a sharp breath. How becoming.

"Honestly, I don't think courage quite describes me because I get scared a lot." Makoto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his other hand. It was hard to tell if he was being humble or being embarrassed, probably a mixture of both. Apparently, he still wasn't sold on the fact that he was a bearer now, much less the bearer of courage. "But then again, I don't think wisdom would suite me either, much less power."

"No, courage fits you well." She insisted because she knew this from experience. "You were always brave even though you were scared."

Despite his weak appearance, Makoto was full of bravery and that to Mukuro was true strength. It's one of the things that she's admired him for. Never has anything discouraged him as he plowed through every situation valiantly ever shining spectacularly with unmarred hope. It was amazing how he always pulled off what he set his mind to because he never gave up. He always tried to brush it off as reckless optimism but the fact remained that he was undaunted in the face of conflict. Even when the odds were against him, he always pushed on and never let the fear of failure stop him. In that sense, he was practically fearless. Truly, if there was anyone who embodied courage then it was none other than Makoto.

"I think you're giving me too much credit." Makoto chuckled bashfully. He was always weak to receiving praise and it seemed he carried that habit on until today.

Mukuro almost smiled at this but faltered. Realization dawned on her as the weight of this fact loomed over her. He was a bearer and that meant a lot of things. Some of those in particular concerned her. She had to find out what he had been doing so far and so she politely questioned him, "What kind of questions have you been asking around?"

"Anything that will help me put this to good use." He scoffed while he waved off his hand as if the symbol of the powers that be weren't literally imprinted on it. "It's supposed to grant me some form of powers but honestly, I don't feel that much different from usual."

"Really? Not even remotely?" She pushed as she leaned forward to pressure him to speak. She knew how he always underestimated himself so it was possible that he was just unconsciously downplaying what was really happening.

"Well…" He started as he scratched his chin, a nervous tic of his. "You know how there's a plague going on? Actually, I've been going around and helping victims for a while now. I haven't been infected yet as far as I can tell." He held his jaw as he pondered over this. "Do you think that I got immunity or something? And that it's from this triangle?"

"Could be. It's hard to tell." She shrugged nonchalantly. It seemed like he really didn't have a grasp on his new powers. Even so, she tried questioning him again, "How much do you know?"

Makoto sighed heavily. "Honestly? Just the prophecy. But even that hardly makes sense to me." His back straightened and this time he wore a more determined look. "So I'm thinking of looking for the other two bearers and see if we can figure something out."

Mukuro could have sworn she felt her heart drop right then and there.

"I see. Then you're the same as her." She bitterly murmured to herself.

"Hm? Did you say something?" He cluelessly tilted his head in query.

"Nothing." She barked as emotionlessly as her face looked like right now. And then she turned her heels as she began to gather her belongings. "I need to go."

"Right now? But it's still pouring outside!" He protested in concern as he kept glancing back and forth to her retreating figure and to the torrential storm outside. He blanched and reached out for her hand in concern, firmly holding her in place. "At least wait until the rain's over."

Mukuro wanted nothing more than to return his grip, to lace her fingers with his, to return his trust. But her hand just lay limply in his. It took all her willpower to stop herself from returning his hold. It pained her to leave him like this but there was nothing she could do. She didn't deserve the right to return his trust. She couldn't do that not when she was about to betray him. Her free hand clenched tightly into a fist in her frustration at herself. She should have let go from the start but her selfish desire to stay like that held her back. However, this moment could only last for so long.

And so she finally slipped her hand from his as it lingered even if only for just a second more where they last touched. She whispered regretfully, "Sorry, but I have to leave immediately."

"Are you in a hurry?" And then his eyes widened at a sudden realization. He stared at his hand with intensity and then shifted his gaze at her longingly. Something in his mind had clicked into place as guilt washed over his face. His voice sounded so small, so vulnerable, so regretful that he had done something wrong. "Was it something I said?"

"..." She answered with painful silence. She couldn't lie to him nor could she confirm his suspicion and so she settled for not saying anything at all.

"I see. I'm sorry if I said anything that upset you." He smiled ruefully as he tenderly held the hand that she let go. "You don't look like you'd change your mind. So at the very least, is there anything I can do to help?"

"It's alright. I can handle this myself." She gave him one last smile and although it was earnest, it looked slightly melancholic. She couldn't follow him but at the very least, she could leave him with her sincere words. "Just... take care, Makoto."

"I'm not the one who's going to rush through the storm. You should take better care of yourself, you know." He smiled back, this time it was lighter, more genuine. "Seriously, stay safe, Mukuro."

And with that, she took off and braved through the rain as a larger storm brewed within her heart. The sensation of his hand desperately clutching hers still lingered even as she balled her hand tightly into a fist. His presence lingered. She wondered if she made the right choice. Maybe she should have at least stayed longer. No, that wouldn't change her situation at all. What mattered now was the fact that Makoto was alive and she was more than happy with that. And just when she thought she was already out of earshot, she was surprised to hear a familiar voice yelling at the top of their lungs, hoping that their voice would break through the storm.

"Don't worry about me! I won't let anything stop me from us meeting again!"

Once he set his mind on it then there wasn't anything he couldn't do. He'd always make sure to keep his word even when the odds were stacked against him. And their meeting had just hardened his resolve and made him braver.

_Courage is not the absence of fear but it is the ability to act in the presence of fear._

* * *

_Power shall corrupt its bearer,_

_So Wisdom and Courage shall band together in order to defeat the evil,_

_And then the lands and the people of Hyrule shall be saved once again._

* * *

For someone with so much power, she felt even more powerless.

The very symbol of Power itself glowed through her gauntlet as if mocking her. Mukuro had never asked to become a Triforce bearer, much less become the bearer of Power. She despised being chosen for it more than she ever did being born as a princess. But she had to come to with it sooner or later and after a year, she had resigned herself to it. There was no known way for her to reject the so called "gift" of the Goddesses and she doubted that cutting off her hand would do the trick. She already tried that once out of desperation and the blade was the one that got ironically cut. There was nothing she could do to escape the destiny that awaited her. All she could do was yield to the role the legend had assigned to her.

She didn't like the idea that of her becoming something else, something more sinister. But if that's what was supposed to become of her then she just had to do everything she could while she was still herself. There's no way for her to know when the change would happen or if it was already slowly in motion but as long as she felt like she still had control then she would do her best to keep it that way. As long as she wasn't hurting anyone yet then she'd carry on. When the time would come that her corruption was beyond salvation, she thought that she would rather be stopped permanently if she couldn't be saved. She could not forgive evil especially if it took her form. So when the other two bearers would come to battle her then she would gladly welcome her defeat which probably entailed her demise as well. It's not her first choice but then again, had she any choice in this at all in the first place?

And perhaps some part of her had already accepted that.

However, when she discovered the identity of the other Triforce bearers, no mental training could have ever prepared her for that revelation. It was hard enough for her to become one, harder when she found out that one of her best friends was another bearer, and hardest when she realized that all three of them had roles to fulfill. It was one thing to wait for your end at the hands of strangers and it was a whole different matter when it was your best friends' hands. What kind of Goddesses did they have to create such cruel fates for them? All sorts of questions that didn't matter before suddenly surfaced and took precedence.

How exactly would the Power corrupt her? Would she still remember herself? Or would she become an entirely different person, perhaps entity, complete forgetting her whole identity? How conscious would she be about her transformation? Would she see the look of betrayal and disappointment on her best friends' faces when they clashed? Would she even feel guilt or remorse when she saw them? Would they truly finish her off should it come to that? Was she really okay with this? Didn't she want to live?

Hadn't she promised to travel around the world with her best friends?

There were so many things wrong with her and her situation that they piled on top of one another until it was an overwhelming tower of conflicts that menacingly loomed over her. If she tried to break it then it would just collapse over her. If she tried to scale it, she doubted there was even a peak for her to climb over. This tower was not meant for her to conquer. Even without doing anything, it felt like the weight was still crushing her until it was almost suffocating her without even trying. It was all too much to bear for her alone. She felt helpless and her situation was hopeless.

So she sought the comfort and aid of her sister.

"Poor Muku, in the end you're all alone." Junko cooed as she draped herself over Mukuro's back in a lazy form of embrace. "How does it feel to know that your best friends are the same people destined to kill you?"

Mukuro had to will herself to stop the oncoming chill down her spine. "How did you… know?"

"I rule this land, remember? Nothing gets past me. Especially not something as big as this generation's legendary actors!" She crowed as she peeled herself off Mukuro and then brazenly waved her arms all over the place. "I mean, I know it's called a recurring prophecy for a reason but how wild is it that it's actually happening to us! Don't these like happen only every other century or something? But we're not just reading off the pages now, we're actually living it! How interesting!"

"Oh… I see." Mukuro frowned slightly. For some reason, it irked her that her sister already knew about them. It worried her to say the least. "Does anyone else know?"

"None who are important enough to mention by name."She nonchalantly brushed off the issue and gave her a lopsided grin. "So don't worry! Your and your buddies' secrets are safe with me!"

That didn't make her any less uncomfortable about it but she trusted her sister enough to know that she wouldn't lie to her. So if she said that it was safe then it most likely was. She nodded back. "Alright. Just checking."

Then all of a sudden, Junko's cheerful personality completely flipped and she was all sullen and gloomy as she sighed heavily. "Don't know why you all bother keeping it under the lid when everyone's gonna know about you three after you all do that showdown to death or something anyways."

Not even all of Mukuro's willpower was enough to stop herself from flinching at the fact said out loud. She murmured disheartenedly, "...It's kind of useless when you put it that way."

Junko's smile returned with a vengeance, her mannerisms were childish and her voice was shrill. "Oopsie, my bad. Did I bring up something sensitive?"

Mukuro took a deep breath to steady herself enough to form a coherent reply. "No, it's alright. There's nothing wrong with what you said."

"I feel almost awful for _accidentally_ saying that. _Almost._ " Junko's face fell as soon as she finished that last high note. Her shoulders slumped and it looked like she didn't have the energy to even carry herself. She spoke slowly and lifelessly, "So let me tell you about how I feel. Today, I feel bored. Oh so very bored." And then she regained some of her spirit as she suddenly became all flustered and demure as she whimpered, "There. Phew, that was scary. My heart was skipping like crazy. It's my first time you know, confessing my feelings. It would break my heart if you reject them."

"Thank you?" Mukuro replied cluelessly. It was hard to keep up with her sister's abrupt personality changes and even harder to keep up with her ramblings. "I appreciate you sharing your feelings."

"Yay! I didn't get rejected!" Junko jumped for joy like a small child who was given candy and then stared at her twin expectantly. "Since confessions are a two-way thing, now it's your turn to tell me how you feel."

"How I… feel?" She asked hesitantly.

Junko's face turned red in anger and scrunched in blatant disgust as she started shouting, "About your whole schindig! You know, about your Power being absolutely useless cause it's gonna get you killed anyways! About your BFFs out to gut your guts! Do I have to spell it out for ya?!" She then straightened herself into a dignified posture and commanded her regally, "Now tell me. How do you feel about that?"

Despite the number of complications she was facing, there was only one feeling left in her.

Junko giggled as she stared at her twin with madness swirling in her eyes. "Upupu. Does it fill you with despaaaaaiiiir?"

Total defeat. Resignation. Deadness inside. That's right. This feeling had a name and it was _despair._

"I feel…" Mukuro didn't even have it in her heart to finish her sentence and yet the word came out of her mouth sounding as empty as she felt. "Hopeless."

"Mmmmggghhhhh!" Junko shrilled fanatically as she started taking short heated breaths in ecstasy. "That's it! That's the kind of feeling I've been wanting to share with you!" She howled wildly as she clutched herself and savored in the moment. "Say no more! Now we're truly bonded as sisters."

Mukuro just stared back at her in disbelief. "I don't understand how that bonds us."

"Well misery loves company and well, I forgot the rest of the line. Who uses outdated sayings anyway?" She nonchalantly shrugged and then placed her hands on her hips. "Point is that you don't need to understand. Just bask in the glory that what we have now is a bond deeper than blood."

"Alright. If you say so…" She answered hesitantly, not at all convinced. Mukuro had learned the hard way that it was better not to question her sister when she was having one of her _moments_.

"Now I doubt you just came here because you missed me. So cough up before I change my mind!" She hollered demandingly.

Mukuro was helpless and so she sought out help from the only person she had thought of.

"What do I do, Junko?" She whimpered with a certain desperation in her voice.

"It's alright. You're in good hands, Muku." Her sister then proceeded to tenderly hold her in a comforting embrace. She whispered soothing words in her ears. "I'll protect you. I already have a plan to help you out."

All the while, she wore a crooked smile.

"No matter what, your sis Junko won't ever leave you."

And so Mukuro fell deeper into despair.

* * *

_The Triforce bearers predestined to meet._

_As if the pieces are drawn to each other, trying to restore itself whole_

_But when they gather, they do not mend. Instead they try to break each other further_

_Because that is how the legend foretold the gathering of the bearers,_

_And nothing shall forestall their reunion._

* * *

Whether by fate or by their own volition, they would cross paths again.

However, this was no heartwarming reunion.

There were no bright smiles exchanged, no loving embraces shared, and no relieved tears shed. When they finally reunited, there was only silence. And the unbearable tension of the inevitable as their foretold destinies loomed over them. This was no friendly social gathering and at worst, this may be their last gathering. Each of them had a determined look painted on their faces which only hardened the resolves they had in themselves. They all knew that this day was coming but no mental training could have prepared any of them for it. This wasn't just about them. The fate of Hyrule and everyone else hung in the balance. Whatever the outcome was, it would decide that.

And they were the ones who would precariously decide on that.

"We meet again." Mukuro deadpanned with her lips forming a straight line.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Makoto tried to smile but it was too weak to count as one coming from him.

"You don't look too happy to see us." Kyoko frowned slightly at her own statement.

Everything about this reunion screamed wrong.

"Just cut straight to the point." Mukuro scowled and she internally winced when she heard her voice come out sharper than she intended. Even though this situation didn't warrant any social protocol for friendliness, seeing that they were bound to fight, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for snapping at them. This wasn't any of their fault, she knew that. But if they were going to do this then it might be better for them to remember their last conversation less fondly. She hissed at them, "What do you want from me?"

The two regarded her with caution, carefully considering their approach.

Kyoko thought it best to state the premise first. "We know that you're the third bearer."

"I see." Mukuro said blankly and in the next second, she quickly shifted into a fighting position. She beckoned them, "Then you must know as well that I don't hold back in battle."

"No! We don't want to fight you!" Makoto shouted alarmingly as he ran for her defenselessly.

Before he could reach her, she leaped backward at the last moment, and placed an even greater distance between them. That was too reckless even for him since she could have easily killed him off twenty times over. _Just like Junko had planned._ That's right. Junko had told her to strike while the iron was hot, to finish them off the first chance she got, to kill rather than be killed. While Mukuro had already resigned herself to death, her sister wanted her to live. That's when Mukuro realized that if she died then Junko would be all alone. And what kind of irresponsible older sister would she be to leave her just like that? So she had agreed to the plan and though she did not like it one bit, she still loved her sister more.

And yet, she hesitated.

The plan was to strike them down the _first chance_ she got and they had more than enough openings for her to exploit. And when the easiest kill was right before her eyes, rather than aim for the vitals in one easy shot, instead she did something different. She faltered. She only clenched her weapon tighter not to increase her deadly accuracy but to stop herself from using it at all. It wasn't like she had panicked or anything. Everything was in slow motion and her mind was calm as always. She had the ability to strategize and make rational decisions within a split second.

She just intentionally chose not to kill.

And then she ran away. When she decided not to end his life right there, she was certain of her decision. However, dealing with the aftermath of such a traitorous action to the plan her sister had crafted out for her was not in her area of expertise. She didn't know how to deal with what comes next and now the panic set in. Did she regret her decision? No. The feeling of relief that possessed her heart had told her that she made the right decision and even if it was wrong, she still wouldn't rue over it. Did she understand what motivated her to act differently? Probably. She had an inkling as to why and it was most likely due to the same reason she didn't want to be in this fight in the first place. Did she prepare herself for the consequences of her actions? No, absolutely not.

All of these thoughts swirled inside her head in just the few seconds that has passed. Her two audience was gauging her reaction as well. She narrowed her eyes at them. "Then why else are you here?"

"To talk you into joining us." Kyoko's voice was clear and cut through the tension. Unlike Mukuro, she didn't seem to falter at all. "We don't have to do this, you know. I don't want any of us fighting each other and I'm sure that you must feel the same."

Join them? What was she talking about? And what did their feelings have to do with any of this?

"It doesn't matter what I feel." Mukuro spat bitterly as she raised her right hand, the Triforce symbol glowing through her gauntlet mockingly. "As long as I have _this_ on my hand, my destiny has already been decided for me. And it seems that I'm chosen as the villain in this cycle."

Didn't they already know that? Why did she have to explain it to them? It _hurt_ to say it out loud and she was _in pain._

"But you're not the villain." Makoto refuted adamantly, his expression more open than Kyoko's. He earnestly tried to reason with her. "We don't believe that you are. And deep down, you don't believe in that too."

"You're not the only one who's been chosen." Kyoko supported his argument in her usual calm demeanor although a bit of emotion seeped through. "Makoto and I are predestined to defeat you and yet here we are not fighting."

All that they were saying just didn't make any sense. Don't fight? Fight destiny instead? Didn't they understand why it was called a _recurring prophecy_ in the first place? She's sure that they did but if so then why were they telling her this? This was unheard of and there was no concrete proof that they could even pull this off. This just complicated matters all the more and she was never good at handling anything this complex. They were just confusing her. The more she heard, the more she tried to block them out. She didn't want to listen to this. Something stirred within her and she didn't like it one bit so she squashed it down before it even had the chance to surface.

She didn't want any more false hope.

"Maybe you're just talking so that I'll let my guard down and that's when you'll strike." Mukuro said as he body automatically tensed in her paranoia.

"Perhaps you're right. But that also means that we're defenseless as well." Kyoko readily retorted her argument as she stared at her evenly. "What's your excuse for not striking us down right now? Aren't you the one who wields Power?"

"That's…" Mukuro paused, even now she hesitated again. "Only because you might be baiting me into a trap."

"There is no trap, Mukuro." Makoto said tenderly, warmth seeped through his voice. "We're only here to let you know on what we decided. And hopefully, you'll join the cause."

Mukuro found herself backed into a corner. "But you know the prophecy. You know what'll happen. You know what _I_ am."

"You've got that wrong!" Kyoko yelled, no longer was she holding back. With a determined look set on her face, she pushed forward and continued their line of persuasion. "If you were truly corrupt then you would've killed us off back then when we still didn't know about you holding a piece of the Triforce."

"And even if you were corrupt, I don't think that's enough reason to kill you." Makoto continued with a gaze that mirrored Kyoko's.

_But it was too late, a seed had long been planted inside her heart._

Mukuro stared at them in disbelief and murmured uncertainly, "Why do you trust in me so much?" Her resolve was slowly crumbling.

"Because we're your best friends." Kyoko strode to her in long strides and when she was right in front of Mukuro, it's only then that she saw the confident smirk she always wore. "It's only natural for us to believe in each other."

"Even if you don't believe in yourself, we'll still believe in you." Makoto approached them as well as he implored Mukuro with his trademark grin. "That's why if you can't believe in yourself then believe in us instead. Believe in us who believes in you."

The two stood right before her, waiting. Both of them were now within an arm's reach and yet hers still hung limply at her sides. If she wanted to, she could easily reach out for them but only if she wanted to. What did she want? She just wanted to live her life peacefully with her sister by her side and with her best friends occasionally with her. That's all she wanted. She wanted none of this legend. They obviously wanted to take her with them but they didn't, at least not yet. They wouldn't take her unless she had decided to. And they were letting her decide and were being patient on her. They knew what they wanted and they wanted her with them but only if she wanted too as well.

"I…" Mukuro's knees gave out on her. All of her energy went to her brain for thinking so hard on this matter that the rest of her body couldn't cope. Any strength she had left had already escaped her as she knelt there both in frustration and in confusion. She whimpered weakly, "I don't know what to do. But I do know what I don't want to do. And I don't want to fight you."

"It's okay. We can start with that and figure out the rest along the way." Kyoko crouched down and stretched a hand out toward her.

"You don't have to be alone in this anymore. You've got us. You've always got us." Makoto followed suit and stretched out his own hand toward her.

_And now that seed had sprouted._

This time was different. This time she properly returned their feelings. This time she reached out and accepted both of their hands.

"Thank you…" Mukuro breathes out in relief, tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes. "For believing in me…" Her heart felt light now because she had two more people carry the heavy burden weight with her. Finally, a genuine smile broke free on her face. "And for everything else."

And together they stood with their hands holding each other's firmly and their hearts connecting over their unbreakable bond.

"So what do we do now?" Mukuro asked in a carefree tone.

"We forge our own destinies." Kyoko answered matter-of-factly.

"And find a path where we can all live." Makoto chimed cheerfully.

All three of them nodded together and proclaimed another promise, "Together."

Their hands glowed as the Triforce pieces resonated with each other but that hardly outshined the dazzling brilliance of their smiling faces.

The journey ahead of them was still too far for them to see clearly the end. After all, this was just the start. This was only the first step. Although their hearts were set on one clear goal, they had yet to figure out how to get there. But little did they know that this was the most important step of all. This was the turning point. An unprecedented change of direction. And because they had taken this divergent path, they had succeeded in creating something that would ultimately help them come closer to their goal.

They had just made their fates unpredictable.

And no matter how many hurdles destiny would hurl at them, they won't ever give up. They would prove themselves to be stronger than those trials. Because now they had each other and they were three times confident together.

_That same seed was planted in all three of them from the very first moment they met and it flourished together with their bonds. It was a seed of great potential, of immeasurable power, and of endless possibilities. It was a seed of hope._

* * *

_They try to rewrite the prophecy._

_An ultimate evil that will descend upon Hyrule and its inhabitants,_

_It will spread gloom across the lands and all that it touches will slowly die inside,_

_And the world shall fall into despair._

 

_This is the part where it all changes._

_Power shall provide the strength to fight the enemies that stop them._

_Wisdom shall provide the knowledge to solve the mysteries that hinder them._

_Courage shall provide bravery to face the challenges that await them._

 

_All three shall join forces with their friendship as the bond that ties them together._

_And together, they shall save the lands and the people of Hyrule._

* * *

The three heroes scoured the lands of Hyrule in the hopes of forging a different destiny for themselves.

Somewhere, in the back of their minds, they remembered promising to travel together and here they were albeit for more urgent reasons.

Along their journey they discovered a lot of things. About the land and its lore, about the people and their lives, and also about themselves and their resolve. With each new place explored and with each new person met, little by little, they took a piece of those new experiences with them and grew just a bit more as a person. And in their wake, they started planting seeds without even knowing. The places were looking better and the people were feeling better after they passed by. Of course that might be because they had a hand in expelling whatever form of gloom that took possession there but there was more to it than that.

Just like how the black plague was contagious, there was also something infectious about their bright hope.

However, seeds were still just that, seeds. They were only pockets filled with potential. It would take time before they sprouted and it would take even greater effort to have them flourished. And in the hearts of most of the people, another seed had already been planted since the First Tragedy. It was a terrifyingly attached seed. It was a seed that embodied the gloom itself. It was an insidious seed full of malice and grief. It was a seed of despair.

Whether the people chose to water the first seed or the latter, it was entirely up to them. But it was better than not having a choice. They could only hope that they chose the right one.

Aside from that, the three heroes have been gathering all the knowledge and tools they could get their hands on. For starters, they discovered that a lot of the mythical equipment were actually more fact than fiction. Regrettably though, they had to leave behind the enchanted tunic and mystical armor because neither had fit any of them. They did however managed to gather a legendary weapon for each of them. Kyoko had the Bow of Light which suited her well given that she preferred to stay at the sidelines. Mukuro took upon the Master Sword since she was the only one who knew how to wield it well. And Makoto embraced the Goddess Shield because he preferred to protect rather than attack. As to how they acquired these sacred equipment, it was a surprising mix of hard work and convenient luck.

Then there's the more important issue of information. Unfortunately, none of the lore they uncovered seemed to be worthwhile since they all supported the same legend they were trying to disprove. However, there was some sliver of hope when they chanced upon discussing with an longest living elder of an ancient race. They told them that the legend that they knew of was not the original. Just like any folklore, words get rearranged and meanings get changed with every generation that it's passed down. It was possible that this legend was just a false prophecy and that the true legend has been lost in translation. This was just all mere speculation so it was advised to be taken with a grain of salt. And although they too had no idea as to what the original could have been, if it was different, this was still more helpful than everything else they've gathered. This just proved that there was a possibility that the legend was wrong.

_And that was more than enough to convince them that they were right._

But the fact remained that they still had no leads.

"Okay, so we know now that the legend isn't as accurate as they say it is." Makoto contributed during one of their brainstorms.

"That's already a given. It's why it's called a legend." Kyoko pointed out with a bored expression. "It's just a story, it's more fiction than it is fact."

"It's also called a recurring prophecy…" Mukuro interjected in a small hesitant voice. "So there's still a chance for the prediction to happen."

"Well you obviously hasn't turned evil on us so that part of the prophecy has to be fake." Makoto cheered encouragingly and even gave her a thumbs up.

Mukuro was still a bit skeptic since she fidgeted nervously. "But what if it's not fake?"

"We already discussed on this." Kyoko released another weary sigh and then began to explain again why that was a bad idea. "It's more likely that it's just a self-fulfilling prophecy so the less believe in it, the less likely for it to happen."

"Right, so it's best not to rely on it too much especially for the part where they paint a bad picture of you. That was totally unnecessary." Makoto seconded.

Mukuro already knew all of this but sometimes she just needed them to reassure her again.

"However, we can't ignore the fact that some parts of the legend are true. Whether by fate or by coincidence, we can't overlook that fact." Kyoko pondered over that detail.

"And with the three of us already gathered, that just means that the next step is for us to defeat the evil." Makoto narrated as the pieces started to fall into place. "And no. Mukuro, that's not you."

"I didn't say anything yet though." Mukuro pouted at the accusation.

"Then stop looking so guilty." Kyoko chided her.

"But with the plague, the Harbingers, and all the other chaos going on, it's kind of hard to pinpoint the source of all evil." Makoto crossed his arms as he continued with his mumblings,"And that is to say, if it's anything physical at all like a monster. It could be anything though even something abstract."

"Or it could be a person." Kyoko cut through without hesitation.

Makoto paused as he carefully regarded her and the other girl of the party. "You say that as if you already know who the culprit is."

"I don't. But I do have my suspicions." Kyoko stated bluntly and then turned her concerned gaze to Mukuro. "But you're not going to like it."

By then, it was already obvious as to who she was hinting at.

"It's okay. I kind of expected this." Mukuro calmly conceded, a stark contrast as to when this issue was first brought up. Maybe she's matured from their journey. Or maybe she's already past the point of caring anymore. Either way, she's resigned herself for this. "So I'm prepared… I think."

"We're still not a hundred percent sure it's her though, right?" Makoto did his best to at least console her. "So we'll confront her just to check and then who knows? Maybe we might be wrong."

"And if we're right?" Kyoko sternly implied.

Just as always whenever facing a difficult foe, Mukuro steered herself as her gaze hardened with resolve. Even if her opponent was someone whom she held dear, she would not falter. Her voice came out steady, not at all betraying her inner turmoil. "Then we still defeat the ultimate evil."

Had she been alone, she would never have gone through this, she would never have made it this far, and she would never have stood against her only blood. But she wasn't alone. Not this time. Not ever again. She had once believed that she couldn't be anything other than what was foretold of her by the prophecy. But then these two came along and believed in her instead. It took a while and a lot of convincing but she started to believe again too. Together, they braved against their destinies. This wasn't just her battle but it was theirs. And as long as they were willing to fight alongside her then she had no right to hold back.

This wasn't just for the sake of Hyrule anymore. This was all for the sake of their happy ending.

And hopefully, no one has to end in it.

* * *

_Rather than fight each other, they chose to unite and fight together_

_The ultimate battle against the ultimate evil,_

_And hopefully they triumph._

* * *

The new path also had its own share of bridges to cross.

What do you say to the last person you want to face in a fight?

"I've returned, sis." Mukuro announced as she strolled into the desolate throne room.

"Muku, baby! You've finally come back to me!" Junko grinned at her like a wolf who found its prey and immediately pounced on her into a tighter than necessary hug, her nails forcefully dug on Mukuro's back, almost piercing through her armor. She pulled back only to pout at her but not quite letting go of her firm hold. "And here I was getting worried. I mean would it kill ya to leave a message instead of dropping off the face of Hyrule!"

Mukuro's face fell. "I'm sorry. It wasn't exactly planned on my part. It just… happened." She looked liked she was in pain, not from the nails clawing at her skin, but from a familiar gloom clutching at her heart as she stared at her twin and counted the seconds until the inevitable would happen.

"No worries! The important thing is that you're back and we're one happy family again." She finally let go of her only to smack her right on the head, it was powerful enough for the painful sound to echo. Mukuro didn't even flinch as she took it. "And yeesh, let me tell all about the chores that piled up since you decided to go off soul-searching."

"..." Her reply was silence and seconds passed by while she counted them.

"What's this? Not only did you lose your way back, did ya also lose yar tongue or something?" Junko goaded her on with hands on hips.

"I'm not…" Mukuro paused as she took a deep breath and steeled herself. And then, for the first time in a long while, she spoke back to her sister and she did so calmly it was almost unnerving. "I'm not here for you."

It felt like whole room dropped a few degrees right after those words were spoken.

"Hm? Is that so?" Junko continued to smile but something about the edges made it look fake. Her voice was sickeningly sweet as it dripped from her mouth. "You couldn't have dropped dead while at it either. Why are you so disappointing? It's absolutely despair-inducing."

The change in her demeanor had alerted the other two unannounced guests.

"Now can we attack her?" Kyoko bluntly suggested.

"Not until we know for sure!" Makoto hushly responded.

With four people in the room, it was enough for a party.

"Well why didn't you say anything? You actually brought your buddies with you! You're only half the disappointment I thought you were." Junko hollered as she heavily clapped on her twin's back.

Mukuro's eyes widened as she sputtered, "What?"

"Excellent work, big sis! You've lured them here just as we planned!" Junko boomed with a smug look on her face. "And you know what they say, nice guys always finish last. Now let's finish them off before they finish you."

Mukuro shook her head. "Junko, please." She pleaded desperately. "Don't do this."

"Do what, Muku?" Junko asked as she feigned innocence and even went so far as speaking in a childish voice. "Aw, does this make you uncomfortable? Does this upset you? Does this bring you despair?"

She ignored her taunts. "We just need you to tell us what you know about Hyrule and the evil lurking in the land."

"Sorry but I don't kiss and tell." Junko said as she threw a flyaway kiss at her for effect. "I do however love me a good game of show and tell so it's SHOWTIME, BABY!"

All of a sudden smoke exploded and filled the room. At first glance, it seemed like its only purpose was to hamper vision as a smokescreen however there was something oppressive about it. As if it wasn't just smoke that's inhaled but a more concentrated version of it. There was gloom mixed in it too and it was potent enough to painfully claw at their lungs with every inhale. They could already feel their energy being sapped right out of them effortlessly. If they stayed in that for too long then there was a strong possibility they could die from the noxious gas or at least be killed while passed out from it.

"We should have shot her down before her transformation." Kyoko complained as she deftly cast a wind spell.

"Now's not the time for I told you so." Makoto retorted as he blocked any oncoming debris.

Mukuro ran straight to where her sister had stood and aimed a slice at her. "What the…" Only for her to cut through air.

The whole room was then filled with obnoxious laughter. "You've heard of Junko now get ready for Ultra Despair Junko!" She said but when she spoke it sounded like thirty people were talking all at the same time and all those personalities congregated into an otherworldly voice.

There stood Junko or not Junko. She called herself Ultra Despair Junko but that didn't quite describe all of the little details of the abomination that she was right now. If it weren't for the absurdly high ceilings of the throne room then she would've hit the roof and have the castle collapse on them. Her colossal body towered over them intimidatingly, her blood red nails were long and sharp enough to be called claws, her royal dress in tatters shaped to look like faces in anguish, and her disheveled hair squirmed as if it had a life of its own. And then there was her face… or faces. Her face was inconsistent, always glitching and switching just as easily as she did with her personalities.

And above all else, she looked absolutely in despair.

"Oh, no! In a not so surprising plot twist, the closest person to you just so happens to be the big bad boss! Boo hoo!" Junko dramatically cried and then her face flickered. "Wow, I'd sure hate to be that guy." It flickered again. "Ah, how boring. It was all so expected. I'm bored over cliches. I'm so bored that I got bored over being bored." And again. "But this is kinda exciting too in its own way. Kyaah! This is too much stimulation for me!" And again. "But precisely because it's expected, it's all the more heartbreaking! You can only feel helpless as you watch and wait for the inevitable happen right before you! Yaaaay!"

If it were any other person, they would have been terrified from the mere presence but for Mukuro, she could only feel sadness over what her sister had become.

And in a rare moment of weakness, Junko's face glitched until it revealed an old familiar face. A face she hasn't seen in a long while not since the First Tragedy. It was the Junko which Mukuro knew and loved but was nowhere to be found not until now. A sincere and more tender version of her spoke through, "Hey, sis. No hard feelings, okay? I really love you, ya know?"

Even Mukuro's cold expression had somewhat softened as she murmured, "...Junko."

However, the moment was short-lived as her face flickered again and mockingly stuck out her tongue. "But ya gotta love HARDCORE more!" She laughed maniacally.

Whatever happened to the previous Junko, Mukuro didn't know. And her heart broke a little at that until it cracked.

"So tell me. Are you feeling it yet?" Her face flickered into a sinister smile. "Do you feel _despair_?"

But in those cracks, something else shone.

"You've got that wrong!" Mukuro shouted back with determination.

"Excuse me, say what?" Junko responded in shock.

"I didn't have any proof before but now I know for sure that this isn't you at all. But somewhere deep down, Junko' still there." The Junko that spoke to her back then, though it was brief, it was genuine. And that momentary exchange was enough to fill Mukuro with hope. "That's why this doesn't fill me with despair at all. I can still save. As your older sister, I _will_ save you."

Junko scowled in blatant disgust. "Ew. What kind of reaction is that? Like super lame." Her face flickered into annoyance. "You should be wallowing in your own pity or crying a river or something, _anything_! Anything but this bullshit right here!"

Mukuro closed her eyes as she touched her forehead to the flat side of her sword. The words that came out of her mouth were soft and gentle, as if muttering a prayer, "I don't want to do this. But I have to. You need to be stopped." When she opened her eyes, there was nothing but determination in them and with that she aimed her sword at her adversary. "So please. Forgive me, sis."

"How cute. You're being cheeky." A wicked grin crossed her lips with a flicker. "You can ask for my forgiveness from beyond the Junkyard!"

And so the actual battle of the three heroes against evil incarnate commenced.

They have never faced anyone or anything quite like Ultra Despair Junko. She did live up to her self-proclaimed title with how frustrating it was to take her out. Her movements were erratic and as impossible as her attitude. She kept switching personalities and with each swap was not just another set of a incomprehensible garble but also a different stack of powers and attack style. And if they counted right, then there were _at least_ 30 different personalities that she switched from. The worst part was that there was no pattern at all. Sure, it was fairly easy to predict what _each_ personality's skills and movements was but it was much harder to predict when the switch would happen. She switched at _random._ It didn't help that she always had some unnecessary commentary with every swap which just annoyed them to no end.

"Hey, wanna see a cool party trick?" She goaded at them with a bemused smirk.

When they managed to level her health down enough, of course she just had to have a second transformation. She then transfigured herself so that now multiple personalities would surface at the same time which formed a whole new monstrosity of an amalgam. Just when they thought she couldn't get any worse, she just did. This was a whole new challenge altogether and they were thankful that they stocked up on their items before coming here. Her new form was definitely more complicated to dodge attacks from and even more to land hits on but at least this was somewhat more predictable. It seemed that the sets for congregated personalities were fixed so they were able to discern a pattern from there.

Each personality had a life of its own and they had to take down _all_ of them. When a personality took enough damage then it would go down for good. It won't resurface even when the set that it's a part of appeared again. So they defeated the personalities in a strategic order. The true battle was one of patience since it took a long sequence before an opening appeared. But slowly and surely, they chipped away each of her swaps until finally, only one was left.

It was unfortunately, the most talkative one of all.

"What?" Ultra Despair Junko's body collapsed to her knees as she spoke in disbelief. "What? What? What? What? What?" She repeated like a broken record and there was some truth to that. Even though she was down to her last personality, her face kept glitching as if it was trying hard to switch to something else that wasn't there. "What? What? What? What? What? WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?" Her hands viciously clawed over her face perhaps in an effort to force a swap out of her. But it was futile. There were no others left. She only succeeded in wounding herself.

"Why is she doing that? I don't think she's supposed to do that." Makoto said in concern.

"She lost and now she's lost it." Kyoko answered sympathetically.

"Junko...please, stop." Mukuro desperately pleaded. She couldn't stand seeing her sister like this. "You're only hurting yourself."

And then all of a sudden, she stopped.

"...What?" Junko mumbled. A giggle escaped her lips. "Upupu." And another. "Upupupu." And another. "Upupupupu!" Until she was cackling insanely.

There was something sinister about her maniacal laughter that it brought chills and goosebumps to everyone else in the room.

"Upupupupu! Is this what despair feels like?" Her hands dropped only to reveal her face twisted in ecstasy and madness swirled inside her eyes. "FOOLS!" She boomed. "This isn't even my final form!"

Smoke engulfed the room once again but this time they were faster to react. As the smoke cleared, they saw Junko in her original form falling from above and upon reflex, Mukuro jumped to catch her midair. She didn't even think about whether or not this was a trap for her body moved on its own, naturally dictating her to protect her sister. Junko safely landed in her arms and Mukuro was surprised but also relieved to see that the injuries didn't transfer to her original body. Junko seemed to have passed out and though her face look exhausted, there was something peaceful in the way she looked. Mukuro felt like she was seeing her sister for the first time in a long while. They had succeeded in exorcising whatever evil that possessed her.

This was enough reason for them to celebrate if only there wasn't just one more problem.

In the center of the room was a short bear standing on its hind legs as if it was a person. It was colored black and white split vertically and one of its eyes was menacingly red and shaped into a sinister smile. Even though it was something so small, just half their size, its presence filled the room. It appeared to be nonthreatening but the aura it possessed was suffocating. It was like the black plague itself had walked into the room. A feeling similar to gloom had dangerously clutched at their hearts and it was unrelenting. Whatever this bear thing was, it was more dangerous than its looks. And more than that, there was the ominous atmosphere of doom that emanated from it.

"Did someone say despaiiiiiiir?" It spoke animatedly and the effect was instantaneous as a foreboding feeling set in their hearts. Its permanent grin mocked them. "HIYA! _Hello!_ The name's Desbear. It's beary nice to meet you!"

Just when they thought it was already over, it wasn't. Not yet.

* * *

_There is a legend that has been erased. By who? who knows? Who even cares?_

_It's so ancient that maybe time itself had wiped out its records_

_But it still exists even until now just under a different name_

_The people had so fondly nicknamed it as the ultimate evil_

_However, before it was known as that, it had another more sinister name,_

_And it was Despair._

* * *

If for some strange reason, despair came in the form a bear, then they didn't have to imagine it.

"Phew! Man, was it cramped in there! Thought I was gonna lose some of my precious love handles if I stayed in there any longer." The bear or as it thought to call itself, Desbear, stretched languidly and even did a few muscle exercises so casually that it was a surreal sight.

Mukuro however dropped all casualties and straight up questioned it accusingly, "Were you the one manipulating Junko all this time?"

That made it pause as it tilted its head in confusion. "Junk-who now?" It scratched the back of its head in embarrassment. "I don't know who you mean. I'm not too good with names that aren't as important as mine. Sorry not sorry."

"Quit messing around!" She hissed venomously. "Did you or did you not possess Junko?"

"Oooohhh! You mean that knocked out lady ya got there with the huge knockers?" It cooed as it made a few exaggerated and rude gestures with its arms. "Yup, I know her. We worked together for a while, a real business partnership. Really had a nice thing going until we had recent a fallout." It paused. "Literally! Gyahaha!" And then laughed heartily.

"Why you!" Mukuro grunted and was about to charge forth but an arm stopped her from losing control.

It was Kyoko who started questioning it this time. "What are you? And what's your purpose?"

"Oya oya? Someone's interested in me?" It blushed profusely. "Sorry, hun. But I'm kinda married to my job and I'm an honorable bear who wouldn't cheat on my spouse." It then exclaimed scandalously, "Well, it's not cheating if I don't get caught. Ahh!"

"Answer the questions or I'll have her force it out of you." She threatened it with a well placed glare.

"Not even committed yet and you're already demanding. Yeesh, don't say I didn't warn you if you ended up single." An arrow narrowly missed it by the cheeks. It blanched and broke into a cold sweat. "Alright! Alright! I'll talk! Just tone down the DV! You're setting a bad example for the kids." Another arrow passed by, this time it almost its other cheek. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Choose your next words wisely." She said levelly with her bow still aimed at it.

"What is with this generation and violence?" It sighed resignedly and then broke into a monologue. "I'm what the cool kids call Despairado back in the days when I first got here. But that was a looooong time ago and you probably wouldn't get the reference anymore." It drooped sullenly and then brightly continued, "Sweet place you got yourselves here by the way and all the people were so buddy-buddy. And being the nice bear that I am, I started thinking… Hey, you know what would make this whole place better?"

"Despair that's what!" It bared its claws for added dramatic effect. "And I've been running the whole charity all by my lonesome martyr self. Aren't I the best?"

"Wait, so you're really the mastermind?" Makoto asked fearfully. "You're ultimate evil that's started all of this?"

"Is that what they call me now? Not really as fun as what I had in mind." It started shadow boxing for no apparent reason other than to make itself appear cooler as he declared its second favorite nickname. "I wanted something flashy like The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Evil. But that one was a mouthful and too many capital letters. So I go by Desbear now."

"But what about the whole recurring prophecy?" He demanded the truth.

"Oh, that one?" Its voice normalized as it straightened itself. "I made it up."

Desbear had said it so anticlimactically, so casually, so lightly, that it was just insulting.

Mukuro's blood curdled as she furiously yelled, "You _what_?"

"That's one of my bestsellers actually." It huffed proudly. "Label one of the good guys as bad and have the other two turn against them. It's a classic! It just never gets old!" "And you people just ate it all up like candy! The masses can't get enough of it!"

"Don't screw with us!" Kyoko shouted in cold fury. "Do you understand just how much pain you've caused? Do you know how many lives you ruined because of your filthy lie?!"

"Nope! Too many to count!" It nonchalantly brushed her off. "And besides, you should be _thanking_ me. I did your ancestors a favor despite the ungrateful humans that you are."

"I'm going to regret asking this." Makoto muttered as he tightened his grip onto his shield in barely contained animosity. "How exactly is that doing us a favor?"

"Thank you for that totally unnecessary question! But since I love to talk, I'll answer it anyways." It jeered as it hopped around carefreely. "When something terrible happens and it's unexplainable, it's only human nature to find something or someone to pin the blame on. So being the helpful bear that I am, I gave humanity a few pointers." It hooted, almost looking smug while at it. "See? Now here's the part where you shower me with praise and gratitude. Go on, now. Don't be shy~"

At this point, it was impossible to stomach any more of this.

"You're just despicable. You didn't help anyone at all. In fact, you just made things worse for us. And you don't even feel guilty about it." Makoto trembled not in fear but in anger. He shook his head and calmed himself. He still spoke through gritted teeth, "I think we've heard enough. We're going to defeat you now once and for all."

All three heroes readied themselves. Junko was set aside for now. They returned to their fighting formation as they prepared to engage in combat.

"Defeat me? Just me?" Desbear tilted its head. "But what about the rest of me?"

Thud. Something heavy fell down out of nowhere at one corner of the vast room. Thud thud. Two more fell at different spots. Thud thud thud. Now three fell almost altogether. Thud thud thud thud. More fell in increasing succession until it was an indoor torrential downpour of whatever those blurs were. Thud. The last one fell. And then all of them stood up. In just a few seconds, the room was filled with a monochromatic sea, every object that fell bobbed individually creating the illusion of waves. Except this sea wasn't made of water. This was a whole army of Desbears.

"Me, myself, and I, and the rest of my clones! Gyahahaha!" The whole platoon laughed in synch, "Oh, and by the way, the original is evil too."

The army started marching towards them in rows, forming ripples in their ranks.

"Change of plans. It'll be dangerous if we get cornered. Let's head into open space for now." Kyoko advised her comrades as she began charging for a spell. "I'll cast an explosion and that will serve us our opening."

"You two go ahead. I need to hide Junko in a safe place first." Mukuro grunted as she picked up her sister once again perhaps more protectively this time.

"Alright. We can take them out once we've regrouped outside." Makoto nodded. "Take care, you two."

An explosion burst forth and the room was filled with smoke for the third time while the three heroes made their escape.

"Fireworks in the morning? Aw, you shouldn't have!" The whole platoon cackled as they began to aimlessly swipe at the smokescreen.

The distraction only managed to buy them enough time to bring the battle out onto Hyrule fields. They weren't even able to strategize since as soon as they regrouped, an avalanche of Desbears followed them. Every creature looked the same and when they taunted them as to who the real one was, the army only answered that each one was the real deal. Whether they were telling the truth or not, it didn't matter. They still had to reduce their numbers either way. And so they valiantly fought against the overwhelming odds as they cut down as many Desbears as they could.

The battle was a gruelling sight to behold. Mukuro fought with all her strength as she took down more and more of the monstrosities. Everything that fell on her sights was swiftly dealt with either with a stab, a slice, and even a beheading. There was not a moment in which her blade rested. She just kept cutting through the masses of abominations. There was oncoming attack from behind her but she made no effort to dodge, she just continued to power through the foes in front of her. It's not like she wasn't aware of the impending assault, she knew about it when she first saw it took stance. She knew with absolute certainty that sharp claws would lunge at her. But she also knew with absolute certainty as well, that her friends would stop that without her asking for it. And just as expected, Kyoko's arrow pierced through the Desbear moments before it could land its attack. There was however, a Desbear that was in her blindspot. It sneakily crept up on her through the smoke of the explosion. But Mukuro didn't just have one friend with her. Makoto swiftly took down that one before it could even reach within arm's length of her. Then without skipping a beat, Mukuro stabbed another one that was about to charge at him and then flung its body towards a wave that was advancing toward Kyoko.

The three fought valiantly while all the while they were expertly covering each other's blindspots.

This was how they always fought. They trusted each other well enough for that trust to carry over in battles. They weren't just individuals struggling on their own rather they were a group facing the same adversary together and that translated to excellent teamwork. They always had each other's backs without even asking especially when they needed it the most. That's why even though this neverending battle was difficult as it is, at least it was less so because they knew they were in good company. The best company in all of Hyrule.

However, the fact remained that they were still merely three people against innumerable foes.

Taking down the army by numbers was as futile as trying to lessen an ocean by slicing through it. This was futile. The platoon of Desbears was just like a neverending sea. The more they took down, the more they realized that it had no effect whatsoever. They just kept increasing as the heroes' health kept diminishing. It was also pointless to search for the odd one out because there might have been none. They've been carefully scanning the crowd for any deviant behavior but came up with nothing. Without a way to defeat them, all they could do was try to withstand their barrages of attacks until something helpful would come up. It was truly a desperate situation.

They were battling for their lives, for the lives that were lost, and for all the lives of Hyrule. And they were losing.

"Wanna know a trade secret?" One of the Desbears teased before it was pierced with an arrow.

"Those fancy toys you got there? They're all fake!" Another continued as it was stabbed abruptly by a sword.

"All of them were made by my company. We just slapped on some good ol' false advertising and then the market just ate it all up." The third one choked as it was sliced with the edges of a shield.

"That's just the product details. What's the actual secret?" The fourth one taunted right before it exploded.

"Upupu…" The whole army snickered and then shouted, "They're all conveniently defective!"

As soon as they had announced this, all three so called "legendary" weapons had turned to stone, cracked, and then crumbled into dust. This made the laughter of Desbears roar wilder. However, this was no time for the heroes to stay in shock. Shaken but not broken, they made a run for a cache with spares they prepared beforehand just in case. Makoto went to retrieve them while Kyoko and Mukuro defended him. They're grateful that they had spare non-"legendary" weapons but they weren't as effective as their first choices were. But then again, was anything effective against these monstrosities?

With downgraded weapons and downtrodden spirits, they continued to fight. If it could be called a fight. At least in a fight, it was hard to tell which side was winning. But this was no fight. They were clearly overpowered. They weren't fighting to win but just fighting to survive this horrorshow. And at this rate, there won't be much fight left in them but only struggles. They were not swimming against the current, they couldn't even if they wanted to. They were just trying their best now to not get swept away with it and get lost at sea.

And what a horrible fate it would be to drown in a sea of Desbears.

"You know, there's a reason why they tell you to stick to the status quo." One of the Desbears started to babble again only to be stabbed straight through the chest.

"If you just behaved like your typical gullible kids and followed the prophecy script." Another continued as it was swiped by a shield.

"Which I wrote." A Desbear declared smugly. "Thank you very much!" And a second one supported it with an applause. Both of them were shot down.

"Then at least two of you would've lived. Hey, 2 out of 3 ain't so bad now, is it?" This one was mercilessly sliced into three cuts.

"Not like I care or anything." Another blushed before the rest of its body followed suit and exploded.

"Yar all gonna die anyways so might as well do it in style, right?" The whole fleet goaded at them. "Better yet, in despair! Upupupu!" They all annoyingly cackled unanimously.

Truly, this wasn't even a battle anymore. This was all just a game for the ultimate evil. The Desbears were just playing around and merely toying with the three heroes.

"I really should thank you though." The last of Kyoko's arrows pierced through one.

"I mean it's usually just one hero who falls into despair because they get killed off so soon. If I'm lucky enough, it's the other two who fall into despair because of the empty victory." Mukuro's sword had dulled so much from use that it could hardly slice anymore.

"But woah! I sure hit the jackpot this time because I gotta catch them all!" And Makoto's spare shield had been broken when they ganged up on him.

"Aww, didja think you could break the prophecy without breaking any of yar bones?"

Without any proper equipment, they couldn't fight back and the Desbear's onslaught intensified.

"Well SURPRISE! The hidden boss is OP!" The whole fleet roared in joy.

It was only a matter of time before the heroes fell.

"This is the most despair I've seen in all of the cycles I've orchestrated! All put together!"

"And this wouldn't be possible without YOUR help!" Kyoko was the first to fall. Her bows were useless with her quiver empty and she ran out of daggers soon after. She tried to cast spells afterwards but even with potions, her mana emptied out too quickly which left her defenseless.

"Upupu! All because you three had believed in something as flimsy as hope." Mukuro was next to fall and she had fought valiantly. When all of her weapons had broken, she had resorted to hand-to-hand combat and using the Desbears against each other. However, even with all her strength, she could not overcome their numbers and so she exhausted herself.

"Congrats on rewriting history tho." Makoto was the last to fall but only because he focused his efforts into defense. He used everything in his arsenal to protect his fallen comrades. Bombs, hookshots, and even his already broken shields. However, his efforts proved futile though since there was no way for him to protect anyone, much less himself, from the barrage of attacks.

The three fallen heroes helplessly huddled against each other while the Desbears surrounded them ominously.

"Your efforts won't be in vain because future generations will remember your legend. Upupu!"

Before the final and definitely fatal blow was struck, all of the creatures had stopped in their tracks, their arms raised with claws menacingly glistened in their sharpness. They started backing up but not really retreating. They were converging in the center, piling one on top of another until there was a looming congregated tower of them that seemingly reached the sky. A foreboding feeling filled the area as the masses of Desbears began to move unnaturally, the whole tower becoming an unidentifiable blur. The tower extended two branches horizontally, one on each side, and then a another two below it. Until finally, its form stabilized until a giant Desbear loomed over them. And though it had the same face as it always did, the smile had never looked so sinister.

A malicious feeling clutched at their hearts and painfully wretched their spirits.

"ALL THREE HEROES fall into DESPAIR!" Desbear triumphed over them as it roared with boisterous joy and laughter. "Gyahahahahaha!"

And such would be the last thing they'd ever hear.

There was no way they could stand up to that, not when they literally could not stand anymore. Desbear wasn't called the ultimate evil just for show. They were clearly overwhelmed, pathetically so, and they had lost. Their hearts clenched at that realization. They had made it this far, fought this far, and braved this far, and yet… they had lost. They were completely and utterly defeated. And worse of all, this may not be the worst part yet. Who knew just how much more havoc Desbear would wreck now that it was loose and in its true form? They surely wouldn't. They'd already be dead by then.

So much for being heroes. Maybe that part of the legend was made up too. But it didn't matter anymore. Not for them. The soon to be dead didn't have much left to think about. At the very least, they had indeed succeeded in changing their destinies. Except, maybe they just made it worse.

Desbear had sealed their fates while despair had clutched their hearts.

"YOU'VE GOT THAT WRONG!"

And inside the maelstrom of hopelessness, an uplifting voice cut through like lightning.

* * *

_There is a legend that's long since forgotten_

_Of the Triforce in its separated state as nothing more than just fragmented power_

_When whole however, it returns to its original form_

_Before it was split into three, the Triforce had another name,_

_And it was Hope._

* * *

It's only in the darkest despair that hope can shine the brightest.

"There's no such thing as despair in any of us."

Desbear merely brushed aside that declaration. "I've heard of how when you humans die you hallucinate and have your lives flash before your eyes. But sheesh, now you're just being delusional."

"I prefer if you'd call me optimistic." Makoto sternly corrected it. Even in his weakest state, his voice did not falter. "You actually don't have as much power over us as you think you have. Because even if you kill us now, the last thing we'll ever feel is despair."

"You can drop the tough guy act now. Nobody's watching. In fact, nobody cares!" Desbear rudely scoffed. "But hey, if you wanna look cool in your final moments then don't let me rain on your parade." It then covered its mouth with a paw and shrewdly muttered, "And since I'm feeling generous enough, I'll let you live for a few more minutes. Just enough to get in some _action_ with your friends there. Think of it as your last _hurrah_. Ya just have to agree to let me see some fanservice while yar at it. Gyahaha!" It laughed boisterously.

"You can joke all you want but I'm serious. This isn't over. Not yet." He desperately reasoned out. "As long as we're still alive, we still have a chance at taking you down."

Desbear sighed sullenly. "What is with heroes and their unrealistic expectations?" It sliced the air wildly in a fit of anger as it yelled furiously, "You can't beat me! You're going to die! You're hopeless cases!" And then it calmed down as it kindly informed them. "Oh, and basically your whole journey, every single step of it, every turn you had to take for it, aaaaall of it. Everything you've ever done was all for nothing."

Their hearts throbbed at the taunt.

Makoto's eyes never left Desbear as he firmly refuted it, "It can't be for nothing."

"Well tough luck coz it already is!" Desbear just waved him off mockingly. "Sorry, pal. That's just how this works. I don't make the rules."

Out of all the lies it has been spouting ever since, there was one in particular that they had a counterargument of. And so, a bullet of truth was loaded.

"For once, I have to agree with you." Makoto collectedly conceded. "You're right..."

"Damn right I am!" Desbear haughtily agreed.

"You don't make the rules." He repeated as a triumphant smirk formed on his lips. "That's why it's not your call to tell who wins. For all we know, it's still anybody's game!"

Finally, a breakthrough of hope.

Desbear flinched at the counterclaim as his argument crumbled into indistinguishable pieces. "Hey! Don't just go around and twist my words into something as disgusting as inspirational."

Makoto was adamant on his position. Despite the impending doom upon them, he still fought over it. Even when his comrades were already down for the count and he had less fighting prowess than the two of them combined, he still tried his best to fight. He fought in his own way. He fought in the only way left. He fought in the way that mattered. As long as there was a will to fight then there was still a fight. They could carry on the battle no matter how one-sided it may seem. They were losing but they hadn't truly lost yet. As long as it wasn't over then they still had a chance at winning this. So he fought on even when his comrades had lost the fight within themselves. He just had to pick the slack and work three times harder. That's where his reckless optimism kicked in and pushed himself back up no matter how many times he was pushed down. He didn't lose the will to fight. And most importantly, he didn't lose hope.

He didn't give up and so his companions had no right to give up just yet.

"This is just a minor setback. We still plan on defeating you." Kyoko taunted and even though her body was exhausted, she managed to gather enough strength stand proudly as her hand gleamed faintly.

"So far, we managed to break the recurring prophecy. We can break you too." Mukuro boasted and though she was in no position to fight, she still had every bit of fighting spirit in her as her hand gleamed faintly.

They may be weakened but they weren't disheartened at all.

"Nice bluffs. Real cute." Desbear goaded at them and then swiped at the air menacingly. "But talk is cheap. Got any proof to back up your claims?"

"Actually, we do." Makoto grinned smugly at it as he raised his own hand, a symbol gleamed faintly on it. "Looks like the Triforce still works."

_In the back of their hands shone a hope that was brighter than despair._

"Ha! As if I were afraid of a bunch of triangles!" Desbear jeered at them. "That's just some flashy party trick. Those don't have any real power in them."

"Perhaps not." Kyoko shrewdly hinted. The symbol of Wisdom glowed brilliantly. "At least, not enough individually."

"'Course it ain't enough." Desbear huffed airily. "There's not enough juice in them to pack a real punch even if you turn them on full blast at me."

"But there's still another way to use them." Mukuro sensibly suggested. The symbol of Power glowed brilliantly. "Stronger altogether."

"Blasphemy!" Desbear broke into a cold sweat and then started yelling its objections. "Don't get any crazy ideas! Do you know how unstable that thing is? You could wipe off Hyrule off of the universe! For reals! There's a reason why it got cut into three ya know!"

"We won't know that until we try." Makoto daringly argued back. The symbol of Courage glowed brilliantly. "Let's hope that the Goddesses who made the Triforce aren't as malevolent as you."

"Unreal! Unacceptable! Undo!" Desbear frantically protested but it fell on deaf ears.

The Triforces pieces had already begun to resonate with each other.

_And within the hearts of our three heroes was the brightest hope._

"You're just so full of yourself that you think you already know the outcome of this battle but guess what. We know better." Kyoko boldly taunted as her hand slipped into Mukuro's.

"Dodongo!" Desbear yelped in alarm as a ray of light zapped from above.

"You're impossibly strong and easily the strongest we've ever fought with but even so. We're still stronger." Mukuro dauntlessly stated as her other hand slipped into Makoto's.

"Dodongo times two!" Desbear shouted in distress as a second beam of light shot down.

"You're the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. And if I were alone, I would have been scared. But I'm not alone. I have my friends with me. And together, we're braver than ever." Makoto fearlessly declared as his other hand slipped into Kyoko's free hand.

_With that, all three of them had connected and within that bond was an ultimate strength._

"Dodongo triple kill!" Desbear shrieked in pain as a final pillar of light struck it.

Desbear was now encased in a triangular golden column of light straight from the heavens. It looked as if the Goddesses themselves were delivering divine punishment.

"No matter how great the despair is, there will always be something greater than that."

The three heroes shouted altogether the driving force in their hearts, "HOPE!"

The Triforce chipped and picked apart Desbear as different portions of its colossal body slowly but steadily disintegrated into nothingness. Its black and white coating had turned into gold and then into nothing. The light shone brighter and brighter as what was left of Desbear became fewer and fewer. Soon, there would be nothing left. However, despite all of this, there were no anguished screams of pain or desperate pleas for mercy. It didn't even try to fight back or attempt to escape. There was no struggle at all. It looked like Desbear wasn't in a devastating storm that was out to destroy him but rather it looked like it was at peace in the eye of a hurricane.

There was an eerie calmness to Desbear.

"You're surprisingly calm for someone whose existence is being erased." Kyoko pointed out with suspicion.

"Upupu…" A giggle bubbled in its throat.

"If that's your attempt to have the last laugh then that's just pathetic." Mukuro sneered with open disdain.

Desbear tilted its head or what's left of it.

"Have you truly won?" It taunted as its ears fell out of existence.

"Defeating me won't completely erase Despair." It grinned before that too was literally wiped off.

"There will always be despair in the hearts of humanity." It goaded as the white part of its face disintegrated.

"And when enough of that is gathered, an even greater Despair will be born." It declared as the blackness of its face succumbed to the light.

Even in its final moments, Desbear tried to fill their hearts with despair.

"Then we'll just have to do our best to remind everyone of hope." Makoto dauntlessly declared, unaffected by its provocations.

"How foolish." Desbear leered at them with what was only left of it, the sinister red eye, one last time. "Human beings are truly hopeless."

Until the last of its remains disintegrated into the light.

When Desbear had finally disappeared, there was no more use for the Triforce, and so the column of light disappeared soon after. The glow of the symbols on their hands diminished slowly and then flickered until it was completely gone. A feeling of weightlessness briefly passed through them and a sense of relief washed over them. There was this knowing sensation that they were just released from their roles as bearers and that the Triforce pieces were no longer with them. Since there was no more ultimate evil to defeat then there was no need for heroes anymore.

They had challenged their fates and they had conquered.

"We went against the recurring prophecy. We changed everything." Mukuro whispered in awe.

"We fought against the ultimate evil. We won." Kyoko muttered in wonder.

"We didn't die. We're still complete." Makoto whispered in relief.

In their exhaustion, they all fell back onto their backs as they clumsily lay on the grass. It's only then that they noticed how there weren't any clouds and how blue the sky was. And for some reason, this made them absurdly happy. They were happy about a lot of things actually. They were happy for breaking their roles in the prophecy. They were happy for defeating an ancient evil that was responsible for messing up the same prophecy. They were happy for going through all that and still making it out alive. These were all good reasons to be happy about. But for some weird reason, staring at this vast empty sky made them happier.

Out of everything they could be grateful for, they were most grateful for sky and how brilliant it looked in the moment. What made this sky so beautiful wasn't the fact that it was naturally majestic nor the fact that it was only there because they had earned the right to see it again after going through that gruelling battle. The beauty of the sky right at this moment was incomparable. It was never this majestic before. This sky was only this much beautiful right now because it wasn't just a sight to behold. It was an experience. It was an experience shared by all three of them.

Everything was always better when shared with a friend, even more so with two best friends.

And though none of them spoke after that, they all knew what they wanted to say even without the words. It was written in their bruised hands that were still gently holding onto each other, a source of both comfort and security. It was written in their exhausted smiles and though they couldn't see them, they still knew they were there because they just knew these things. It was written in the majestic sky that stretched as freely as they felt right now.

It was an unspoken agreement that had been written in their hearts ever since.

_Let's always stay together._

Because before they were heroes, they were best friends first.

* * *

_Legend had foretold that the bearers of the Triforce were predestined to meet_

_However, it never mentioned anything about all three being best friends_

 

_They were predestined to fight one another_

_And yet they decided to fight together_

 

_The Triforce may have chosen them_

_But they chose each other instead_

 

_And so a Hope was born from their bond_

_With it, they triumphed over the Despair_

 

_The neverending cycle has been broken_

_Now the legend has long been forgotten_

 

_All that's left is the tale of three heroes_

_And how they were legendary_

* * *

**OMAKE**

Heart to Heart to Heart Talk

Aside from the main story, our heroes did a number of different side quests.

With only a clear and no definite path as to how to achieve it, the group scrambled around to gather any and every lead they could get. This included doing favors for people as well as dungeon crawling in the hopes that maybe they'd get something useful this time. Sometimes it'd happen spontaneously especially when there were some people in need of help and a certain _someone_ was just too good to ignore their pleas. Just yesterday they ended up herding a whole cattle of scattered sheep and they didn't leave until they had every single one, even the literal black sheep. That was unexpectedly more taxing than it sounded so today they decided to avoid human contact unless they wanted to do another ridiculous chore.

There's a grotto they found on _accident_ when again, a certain _someone_ had fallen into a pitfall which turned out to be an entrance to a complicated series of tunnels. Since this was uncharted territory, they had to be careful but they still trudged on. Although most of the motivation came from the fact that it was impossible to climb back from where one fell and it was unthinkable to just leave their fallen comrade behind. So they all ended up exploring the underground cavern which was apparently an abandoned ruins of a long lost civilization. Again, they lucked out.

As they were scavenging for scriptures, tools, or anything remotely useful, they came across a seemingly normal room. However, upon close inspection, it was an elaborate setup for yet another complex puzzle for them to solve. After a few failed attempts and a lot of scolding from someone who already knew the answer at first glance but didn't want to tell, they finally got it right and was rewarded with a chest.

Inside it was a large heart-shaped item that appeared to be made of glass, transparent around the edges but bright red at its core following its shape. Even in the dimly lit room, it seemed to radiate its own brilliance and life. It was a sight to behold and it looked too beautiful to touch.

"Okay, now this is weird. Cuter than the usual stuff we deal with, but still weird." Makoto bluntly thought out loud. He was always the first to break the silence since he was the most talkative out of the trio.

"Don't tell me you've never read about these before?" Kyoko looked almost offended at him.

"It's called a Heart Container." Mukuro said matter-of-factly.

"Wow, whoever thought of that must be creative." Makoto said sarcastically. He was about to roll his eyes when he suddenly paled as he backtracked on what he just heard. "Wait. Are you saying that there is an _actual_ heart inside this?!"

"Don't worry, the name's probably because of the shape." Mukuro shook her head and then looked away as she mumbled the rest, "And besides, real hearts look more… grotesque."

"Oh, right. Haha, I knew that." He chuckled weakly, not really convincing anyone. He then continued his query, "So what exactly is it?"

Kyoko sighed wearily. "Honestly, this is just basic folklore. Must I tell you everything?"

"Hey, that's why you got Wisdom for a reason." He joked lightly.

Kyoko merely glared at his humor but still explained nonetheless. "There are different theories circulating concerning its origins and composition. Some say they're another form of blessings from the Goddesses. Others argue that they're manifestations of the sacred power of the lands of Hyrule. A few speculate that they're created from the goodwill of the hearts of people. But these are all mere conjectures." She crossed her arms and then spoke evenly, "However, the most accepted one is that it's LOVE materialized."

"What does that even mean?" Makoto asked but was only replied with a shrug. Well, not like it mattered much as to what it was. More importantly, he questioned, "Okay, but what does it do?"

"It's supposed to extend your life energy by one." She answered readily.

"One?" He tilted his head in confusion. "One what? One year?"

"One full heart of health." This time, it was Mukuro who answered for him.

That didn't make sense to him at all. He frowned slightly. "Now I'm just confused."

"You know how you can take three _fatal_ hits before you actually pass out?" She paused to let that fact sink in and only continued when he nodded in understanding. "That means you have a total of 3 full hearts of health."

"And in case you're wondering. I have 7 plus the ability to cast a magic shield while Mukuro has 15 plus specific invulnerability." Kyoko conveniently supplied.

"How do you know this?" He asked confusedly but she just him the look she'd always wear whenever he was asking for something obvious. Most of those obvious question, if not all, had the same answer though. "Riiiight, wisdom."

"Regardless, it's still a useful item." Mukuro interjected before a spat could break out and then focused her attention to him. "Makoto, you should have it."

"What? Why me?" He stepped back in surprise.

"Because…" Mukuro paused as she thought of the gentlest way of laying down the issue. She then carefully reasoned out with him. "You'll probably need it the most."

"Because you're obviously the weakest." Kyoko said quickly and bluntly. She on the other hand, didn't mince with her words and gave it to him straight.

Now that caused him to wince and scratched the back of his head lamely in embarrassment. "Fair enough. But still, ouch."

Mukuro scowled at her. "You could've handled that better."

Kyoko shrugged unaffectedly. "I call it as I see it."

"You're supposed to embody wisdom, not sass." Mukuro hissed at her.

"I might as well be." Kyoko just casually flipped her hair.

The two continued to bicker on as their third member was left behind to awkwardly watch them duke it out in another argument.

"Hey, um. I'm still here, you know. Just in case you forgot." Makoto sheepishly chimed which caught back both of their attentions to him. He then took this opportunity to explain himself. "But really, I don't think I can take this for myself. It wouldn't be fair."

"Not fair? Ha! We literally have an overpowered person on the team who can't be stabbed and even if she had been, she most likely wouldn't even bleed." Kyoko scoffed. "So if you want to talk about unfairness, then you have to do better than that."

"She has a point. It's a very solid argument." Mukuro seconded.

Really, for people who liked to argue with each other so much, they also tend to agree a lot.

"No, that's not what I meant." Makoto shook his head and then insisted, "If I'm going to get an upgrade then you both should too."

Kyoko sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have unrealistic demands as always."

"And shouldn't we even out the current power differences first before we think about sharing upgrades?" Mukuro suggested as she continued to try to convince him.

"Sorry, this is non-negotiable." He hummed lightheartedly, ignoring both of their sentiments. "Hmm, I guess it's too bulky to carry with us. Better to leave it here for now then."

It now occurred to both of the girls that he was serious. He was about to leave behind a rare and ultimately useful item just because of an impractical idea. This was just too wasteful to ignore.

"Now you're just being ridiculous." Kyoko reprimanded and her voice may have been raised higher than usual. "This isn't exactly what you'd call a walking distance."

"Wouldn't it be okay for you to use it now?" Mukuro proposed once again. "And then me and Kyoko can just promise to use the next one we find."

"Nope, we're good as is." He easily shot them down with a smile.

"But!" The two protested in synch.

Makoto raised both hands only to hold one of theirs in each of his. He then warmly looked at them and spoke tenderly, "Besides, I don't need any additional Hearts when I already have the two that matter right here with me."

And with that, there were no more disagreements.

"I suppose we can put this on hold for now and mark it on our maps." Kyoko flushed lightly.

"Well, it is actually optional. And there are plenty more to discover." Mukuro flustered timidly.

The issue had been resolved just like that.

"I knew you two would understand." He smiled affectionately at both of them.

Well, maybe only that issue.

"Hold it." Kyoko interjected with a stern face. "Don't think you can slack off just yet. There's still Pieces of Heart that we need to collect aside from Heart Containers."

"What?" He was absolutely clueless again. "What's the difference?"

"They're fractions of a whole." Mukuro answered promptly. "We need 4 Pieces of Heart to form 1 Heart Container. They're more tedious to find."

Just how many Hearts are there?! And do they need to gather them _all_?

Makoto groaned as he felt an oncoming heartache. "Why are Hearts so complicated?"

It's only then that he realized something incredibly important that would prove to be essential in their journey.

This was a side quest that's not for the faint of heart.

* * *

**BONUS**

Legend of the TriFriends

The restoration and rebuilding that comes after is just as important as the decisive epic battle for their fates.

"Thank you so much, Hero!"

Although technically they _were_ heroes, they're not anymore, not in active status at least as far as the Triforce is concerned. But the people of Hyrule fondly calls them that especially when Queen Junko had hailed them as such and everyone else had followed suit. Even though what they did was in fact, a great service to them all, they'd rather be called by their own given names. It was kind of embarrassing at first and it was fine for the first week. But when they left the castle and started travelling again to help whoever needed the aid, it just became annoying. Hero is now just another glorified nickname for helper. From saviors, they were reduced to laborers. People sugarcoat their requests with it as if the greater the number of praises, the better their performances on the job. Well, not all people do this but the few who do usually just makes them do chores that they can do perfectly fine on their own. And because of a certain _someone,_ they couldn't turn down these requests.

"You really need to choose which requests to accept and which ones to refuse. We don't need to help _everyone,_ just those who really _need_ it." Kyoko insisted.

"But I don't want to discriminate." Makoto whined.

"And I don't want to get stuck all day cleaning a house when I could spend that same amount of time into building one." Mukuro retorted.

"If you can't learn to turn down people, which you probably won't ever, then we'll just have to decide for you." Kyoko declared with finality.

"But what if they _really_ needed it? We just don't know for sure!" Makoto reasoned out.

"After the first fifty times of false alarms that we had? Yeah, I think we can get a pattern from that." Mukuro argued back.

"Okay, but!"

It has been their new routine to argue like this every now and then, more often when the annoying chores pile up. But this is still fine too. It's definitely better than roaming across the land in uncertainty and with death and gloom looming over their heads. It's not as exciting as what they did before but excitement is overrated anyways. And it's not like this isn't exciting in its own way either. There's still plenty of excitement even after all that gloom, it's just a safer kind now, a less life threatening kind of excitement and to them that is more of an upgrade than the opposite. This peaceful new life has its own charm and with every day spent, it just gets more charming.

And the best part of it is that they get to spend their days together in relative peace.

"Remind me again why we're still friends with you?" Kyoko sighs in exasperation.

"Because you love me." Makoto innocently answers with a smile.

"Not for long if you keep this up." Mukuro snarkily replies.

"Please tell me you guys aren't serious on that." Makoto pouts and concern seeps through his voice as he worriedly checks on their faces.

The two just break into laughter and the sounds of it is warm, free, and absolutely contagious. Soon enough, he finds himself joining them as well and they chuckle and giggle for a good while until they are wheezing from laughing too much. When was the last time they've ever had a good hearty laugh? It's been so long that they can't exactly remember. That's what makes this moment all the more precious for them. There are no expectations, no danger, no fear, and no despair.

It's just them being silly friends and goofing off.

"Well this certainly brings back memories." Kyoko smirks as she composes herself.

"Wanna do the thing that we always did back then?" Makoto bounces as he suggests this.

"You mean the one we did as kids? At the end of every day?" Mukuro questions him but from the tone of her voice she already sounds like she'll do it anyway.

"Yeah, that one. Let's do that." He nods in affirmation and flashes his widest grin. "For old times' sake."

And so they do it. They'd probably do it anyway regardless of the reason. They first came up with the daily ritual when they were kids. They did a lot of things when they were kids but most of them they did together. Just like this one thing. Back then, they always did it because the threat of being separated always hung over them. Their time together always seemed too short and was never enough. And before they noticed, it was already time for them to go home and on certain days that meant they'd be separated for months on end. That's how this thing came to be.

It was their way of keeping together even when apart.

"Best." Kyoko stretches his arm forward.

"Friends." Mukuro places their hand above the first.

"Forever." Makoto does the same.

At the count of three, they all raised their hands and cheered, "It's a promise!"

But now, they do it because they know with absolutely certainty that it's true.

They stay together just like always.

_And everything is as it should be._

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

**Author's Note:**

> I know that a crossover is out of nowhere but fuck it, the zelda nerd in me won out so there. (Let me have my geeky fun just this once, okay?) Just think of this as a fantasy au or something. I broke a LOT of stereotypes anyways so I don’t know how much of this counts as zelda. Actually, I don’t think it’s zelda enough since I screwed with the alignment and the prophecy. 
> 
> Maybe I should have just gone with a fantasy au and renamed the references. Oh, well whatever. Although in my defense, I did try to write a regular au but I kinda got impatient halfway through and then my hand slipped and this happened instead. Oops. Sorry not sorry.
> 
> Anyways, I really had fun writing this and hope that you enjoyed reading it!  
> And if you enjoyed this then try out my series fic **She Breathes**! Thanks for reading this far and see ya!!


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